Monochrome Stories
by Bloopfish
Summary: Black is a boy diagnosed with an illness that prevents him from seeing the colors of people. When interacting with them, he doesn't feel any emotions, so he isolates himself from the world, but not all people are gray to him.
1. Ep 00: Prologue

**Black's POV**

All my life, I saw everybody but my parents as grey, colorless figures. I don't know why I was born like this. My parents took me to the best doctors the country can provide, but it was like I developed a whole new illness unknown to man.

I didn't get to make friends much growing up. When I talk to the colorless figures, I don't feel any emotions. It's like talking to a mannequin. It's honestly really hard to describe what it feels like to talk without emotions. You just have to be in the actual situation, you know?

I still got to make friends though, just not much. Very rarely, I see some people with colors. Those are the ones I would try to befriend, but after a while, they revert back to being colorless figures. I don't know why it happens, but that's why we constantly move. My parents still want me to have a normal life even though I have this illness.

The constant moving turned into stress for my parents. They've always put me above anything else. They'd quit their jobs if we were about to move again, then they'd find new ones once we do. I was making their lives much harder than it needed to be.

I was 11 when I saw my mom and dad fighting in the kitchen. It was in the middle of the night. I woke up to the sound of my parents yelling downstairs. We were running out of places to move to, and my dad wanted to leave the country, hoping that some international doctor could somehow figure out my illness. My mom hated the idea. She didn't want to leave what she had here. My dad stormed out of the house and my mom was left crying. She saw me by the staircase and tucked me back into bed. She kissed me goodnight and turned the lights off. My dad left the following morning.

I was confused and I didn't know what I should've done. I didn't know what I could've done to stop them. I was just a kid back then. I didn't have any control over the situation. I hated that feeling. I hated feeling so useless.

Two years later, my mom received a call saying my dad passed away. She fell into a deep state of depression, and couldn't even leave the house. She was like another colorless figure, but I could feel emotions whenever I interacted with her.

Since she couldn't do anything anymore, I stepped up and took care of everything. I learned how to cook, clean the house, the laundry, and I was also the one feeding her and taking care of her. It was all my fault that it happened, so it was the least I could do.

One day, when I got home from school, there were police officers surrounding our house. They approached me and asked if I lived there with my mom. I wasn't a dumb kid. I had an idea of what had happened.

I started to cry, so I rushed inside the house. The officers were stopping me, but I needed to see. I needed to see if what I was thinking was true. I got inside, and there I saw it. My mom was hanging lifeless in the living room. Apparently, my aunt came to visit and saw my mom already hanging there when she arrived. She called the police and wanted to see me immediately.

I started to sob on the floor, until I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I looked at the color of the hand and it was grey, but it gradually started to change. I looked back and it was my aunt, but she wasn't grey anymore. She had these warm colors and a warm vibe. She hugged me, and I proceeded to break down. Tons and tons of tears were coming out of my eyes. It's like all the emotions I've bottled up for the past years were finally released. It's been a long time since I've felt this. The warmth of family.


	2. Ep 01: Colorless Emotions

**Black's POV**

It's been four years since I lost my mom. My aunt offered to take care of me, and I started living with her. It's been really nice, honestly. Her warm colors have been a nice change of pace from the cool colors my parents had.

I've never introduced myself, have I? My name is Black. I'm currently 17 years old, and today I'm starting my first day of senior high school. My aunt enrolled me in one of the most expensive art schools even though I told her I was alright with going to a normal academy.

She found out that I love painting when we were getting my things from our old house. She opened my closet and saw a bunch of the works I had throughout my life. Painting was my only escape from this colorless world. I loved the combinations of different colors, and the different meanings each painting can represent. My dad was a painter himself, and I was overjoyed when he asked if I wanted to try it too. Now, I just continue painting because it's something I don't wanna let go. It's the only thing I've got left of my dad. My aunt wanted to support me, and I'm really thankful to her for it.

After fixing my room, I ran downstairs and caught my aunt cooking pancakes for breakfast. She always enjoyed cooking them. She loves doing different shapes and making unique flavors, though I have to admit, not every unique flavor is good.

"Black, what are you doing just standing there? Come down here and eat before the pancakes get cold." She said as she gestured for me to come down. "Today I made honey and mango pancakes. I hope you enjoy it."

"Sorry, Aunt Autumn. I'm coming." I replied as I continued to run downstairs.

I took a seat and looked at the pancakes for a second. The honey was oozing down on the mangoes. It looked really delicious, but also overly sweet.

"Stop staring at the pancakes and eat them." My aunt scolded me.

"Oh, sorry." I replied as I took a bite. It was excessively sweet, but still delicious. It was better than the ones she made last time. I still can't take the taste of sardines out of my mouth.

"Are you excited for your first day?" She asked rather happily. If I were to describe her, I'd say she looks like the typical mom you'd see in the old movies. She had her auburn hair up in that specific hairstyle that you would see in that movie, "Hairspray". She was wearing a light peach duster and a sky blue apron with frills over it. She was also wearing those pink fluffy bunny slippers that you could find at the kids section of department stores.

"Not really..." I softly replied.

"What's wrong, honey?" She asked as she sat down on the chair in front of me.

"I just... I don't know if I can make any friends. They might hate me for being like this..."

"Being what?" She asked as she ruffled my hair. "An awesome painter?" She chuckled as she stood up to go back to what she was doing.

"Thanks, Aunt Autumn. I feel better now."

I looked at my watch and saw that it was almost 8:30. Classes start at 9, so I started to eat faster. The sweetness honestly wasn't the easiest to eat, but I could manage. Once I was done, I picked my bag up and headed straight towards the door.

"I'm leaving." I said as I put my shoes on.

"Wait, Black." My aunt stopped me and grabbed my hand. She then placed something in my palm. I opened my hand to find out what it was, and saw a familiar necklace.

"Aunt Autumn... Isn't this-"

"It was your mother's." She interrupted me. "She wanted you to have this on your first day of senior high school. I found it with a note next to her body. I'm sorry I kept this for so long." She apologized and started to tear up. I hugged her as a response.

"Thank you. I love it. You don't have to apologize. It was what mom wanted. Thank you. I really mean it."

She wiped the tears from her face. "Your parents would be so proud."

Would they really be though? Seeing me like this...

"I hope they are. See you later, Aunt Autumn." I said as I waved goodbye. She waved back and I started to walk to school.

I looked around to catch a glimpse of my surroundings. The light blue sky, the refreshing green trees, and the colorless mannequins walking around. They were students of the same school, but none of them had colors. I couldn't approach them. I would sound like a heartless machine if I did. I just need to concentrate on getting to school in one piece first. I wish I could just go home immediately.

I arrived at the school's gate and just took everything in. I still can't believe I'm studying at Artis Et Operis Academy, one of the most expensive art schools this country has. It's surreal. I have to do my best not to disappoint Aunt Autumn.

I headed towards my classroom on the third floor. Room308... I climbed up the stairs, but it was very suffocating. I was surrounded by the colorless mannequins, but there was nothing I could do. My heart started to beat faster and faster. I couldn't breathe properly. My legs were getting weaker and I couldn't move an inch. I leaned on a wall so that I could regain my balance. I must look like a total idiot right now, but I guess I don't really care. These mannequins can think whatever the hell they want.

I started to calm down, so I continued climbing up the stairs again. I reached the third floor and started to look around to find room308. The signs on the doors were huge so it wasn't really hard to find it. I entered the classroom and took a seat by the window. I'm honestly shocked nobody has taken it. It's literally the most cliche seat anyone can get, but I'm not complaining. I looked around the classroom to find anyone I could possibly talk to, but all of them were grey.

I diverted my attention to the window and just looked at the sky. It was beautiful. I couldn't let this opportunity slip, so I took my sketchpad out of my bag and started to draw. I continued until I was finished. It doesn't look that great, but I guess I can redraw it at a later time. I checked the time on my watch. Class was supposed to start at least an hour ago.

I turned around when I felt a light tap on my shoulder and saw a male student with messy black hair. "You were so busy drawing, so you must've not heard about the teacher for this subject being absent." He said. "Apparently he got sick."

I stared at the student in confusion since it wasn't like anything I've ever seen before. He had color, but at the same time, he didn't. He was pure white. The kind of white you would see on a cloud in the sky. It was misleading when I turned around and saw him, so I just had to check again if he was grey or not. I felt emotions when I talked to him, but why did it feel strange?


	3. Ep 02: The Girl He Saw

**Black's POV**

"Is there something on my face?" Asked the boy. I was probably staring at him for too long.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something." I replied. "Thanks for the heads up." I placed my sketchpad in my bag, and then stood up to walk to the door. I don't need friends. I can do just fine on my own.

"Hey, wait!" The boy exclaimed as he grabbed my wrist. I looked at him, probably with an angry expression since he flinched a bit and loosened his grip. He scratched the back of his head. "I was just thinking maybe we could go there together..." He was fidgeting. Obviously he isn't used to handling with aggressive people.

I sighed loudly. "Fine." I replied. "Let's go... Uh..." I realized I forgot to ask his name.

"White. My name is White. Nice to meet you!" He smiled as he put his hand out for a handshake.

"My name's Black." I replied as I returned it.

While walking to the next class, I looked around, secretly hoping I'd see somebody else with color, but to no avail. I looked at White. He had short, messy black hair. He looked like he just woke up. He was wearing a grey hoodie with bright yellow ducks in the middle of it. It was honestly very tacky, but I don't judge. I have horrible taste in clothes as well. I noticed the school pin on his ID. I guess he doesn't wanna stick it on his clothes.

In our school, the school pin is to show you're a student studying here. It's also to gain access to most of the facilities. Libraries, painting rooms, digital arts room, even the cafeteria. My school pin is located on the pocket of my pants. I stuck it there since it was the most convenient place for me.

"We're here." White said. I guess we have been walking for a while. I didn't notice it.

"What was our next class again?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Don't you have your schedule with you?"

"Schedule?"

"Oh, what? You really don't have one? It's given at the ground floor."

I guess I didn't notice I had to get one. "I'll just get one later."

"Then, where were you supposed to go earlier? Right after I told you it was time for the next class, you just stood up and started to walk."

I didn't really think that through... "I had no idea where I was gonna go. Guess it was good that I decided to stick with you." I winked. "So what's the next class?"

"Sculpting."

Sculpting, huh? I've only tried painting and sketching. I have no idea how to do this.

"You scared?" He asked.

"A bit. Don't we have normal classes here?"

"We have math, science, and english too, but on different days. And don't worry about sculpting. We're not gonna be doing anything today. It's just introductions."

I guess that does make sense. It's still the first day.

"Come on. Let's introduce ourselves to everyone else." He said as he grabbed my arm and tried to pull me inside.

What the hell do I say to him? That I can't talk to other people like him? Hurry, Black. Think of something.

"Actually, White." I took his hand off my arm. "I'd rather just be alone." I said as I went inside the classroom.

This is better, right? I did say I didn't need friends. There's always a chance that it could happen again... I'd rather not take any risks.

The classroom was a mess, but I guess I understand why. We needed space to sculpt. I looked around for a place I could just sit down and sketch. It's not like I have anything better to do anyway.

I found a seat by the window, but it wasn't really a seat. It was more of a treasure chest. I'm guessing it must be for storage. I didn't really mind since I could see the beautiful sky again. I've already finished drawing that, so what else do I do?

"Don't you think he looks cute?" I heard a female voice say.

"Oh yeah. He does." Another one replied. "Do you wanna go up to him?"

"Stop! It's just the first day."

I looked around to see who it could be and it was just some grey female figures talking.

"Oh my God, he's looking at us!" They both waved at me.

What the hell? They were talking about me? I was so sure it was somebody else. Why would anybody be talking about me...

"You look like you're popular." A voice behind me said. It was White. He sat beside me.

"I thought I told you I wanted to be alone." I told him.

His happy expression turned into more of a sad look. "Come on, man. I just wanna be friends with you."

"I guess there's two hot boys here now." I heard the same two girls talk. "Don't you think they look cute, Lilac?"

I looked towards their direction and saw a third girl in their group. Was she always there before? I guess she must be the one called Lilac. Her color's also grey, so there was no point paying attention to her.

"I guess." She replied.

"Maybe we should go introduce ourselves." The first girl said as they chuckled, but not that Lilac girl. She had a sad look on her face. Almost like a look of regret.

"Let's go to the bathroom." She said.

The other two girls looked confused at first, but eventually followed her.

"It looks like I'm not the only popular one here." I jokingly said. I looked at White and saw him blushing a lot. "Woah, are you okay?" I asked.

"Y-yeah! I'm fi-fine!" He answered very nervously. "Sorry, I'm just not used t-to those kinds of compliments." He lowered his head, looking rather sad. Guess I have to be a good classmate.

I patted his back. "I'm not used to it either, but I just don't pay any attention to them. I mean, what bad could a couple of compliments do, right?" I told him. Now that I look at White closer, he was a bit thinner than a normal person would be, but he does have good looks.

He stood up. "I'll be right back. I'm just gonna go clear my head."

"Go ahead." I replied as he walked out.

Now that he's gone, there was silence again. It was so quiet... So peaceful... I didn't notice, but I started to doze off...


	4. Ep 03: Curiosity

**Black's POV**

I opened my eyes to find myself in total darkness. Where in the world am I? I walked around to hopefully find out if there was anything else here. I couldn't really see a thing, so I kinda just felt my way through the darkness. Suddenly, there was a familiar cool shade that was only a few meters away from me. I ran towards it, hoping to see who or what I thought it would be, but just as I was about to grab its arm, I'm woken up by somebody calling out to me.

"Hey, Black." The voice said. I opened my eyes and saw White right in front of my face. "It's lunch time. Do you wanna eat together?" He asked.

I wiped my eyes and stretched. It was all just a dream. How disappointing. "Why don't you eat with the other students?" I replied.

"Well..." He fidgeted a bit. "No reason at all. I just wanna eat with you."

This boy. Why won't he just leave me alone? But I guess don't really hate it... I'm just scared it's gonna happen again, but I don't wanna be lonely...

"Fine. Do you know where the cafeteria is?" I asked.

His face lit up and he was suddenly filled with joy. "Yeah!" He exclaimed. "We're gonna run out of food if we don't hurry." He grabbed my arm and we both hurried towards the cafeteria.

Is this alright? It's okay for me to have a friend, right? Please... Don't let it happen again. I don't wanna be left alone...

"Why'd you decide to be in the arts department?" White asked as we walked. "I noticed you were a bit quiet, so I thought some ice breakers would be nice."

He must've noticed I've been spacing out. "My dad was a painter. I just wanted to follow in his footsteps." I replied. "What about you?"

"I just loved art ever since I was young. I was shocked when my parents agreed to enroll me in this school, but I guess it's good to know that they're supporting me."

I remember my dad when he first saw me paint. It was a shock to him since he never thought I would be interested in it since he thought that I was color blind. My mom tried to explain it over and over that I wasn't. It wasn't one of the best memories, but it was very memorable.

"Do you plan on making painting your career?" He asked.

"I haven't really thought about it that well. I love painting, but I don't know. I might be interested in other things as well. Do you have anything else in mind?"

"I've always been interested in the way a human mind works. It makes me so curious how one event can change a person's whole view of something. I guess if I don't succeed in being an artist, I'd probably learn about psychology."

"It's a good thing you have a back up plan." I look around to see the classrooms and notice that we're next to the music rooms. "I didn't know this school had a music department." I commented.

"It has a dance department too. If I'm correct, the studio is somewhere on the 5th floor." He replied.

I'd love to meet somebody in the music department, but I guess that's gonna be hard for me. It's not easy to find someone I could talk to.

"That's amazing. No wonder this school is so expensive."

We arrived at the cafeteria. It was full of grey figures. It was suffocating, just like earlier by the staircase.

"You go find us a seat. I'll buy some food." White offered. "Is there anything you want?"

"I guess probably a sandwich or anything similar to it." I replied.

He immediately headed off while I tried to find us some seats. The cafeteria was huge. There were loads of tables around. I spot a vacant one at the very corner and decided to sit there. It's boring to wait here. I should've just headed to our next class. There isn't even anything I could do with my phone since I don't have any games. I slouched down at the table and just tried to sleep.

"Hey, isn't that him?" A female voice asked.

"I think so. That's his bag, right?" Another answered.

"He looks like he's sleeping. Should we still sit with him?"

God, these girls are so noisy. I can't even sleep properly. Well, this cafeteria is already noisy, but these voices are too close to me. Who the hell were they talking about anyway?

"Hey, Black." I felt a light tap on my head. "Are you asleep again?"

I lifted my head up and saq White a little bit too close to my face. I backed away a bit to avoid the awkwardness. "I was trying to." I answered as I wiped my eyes.

"Oh, sorry." He apologized as he placed the food down the table. "I bought you a sandwich. I have no idea what's in there, but the nice lady said it was full of nutritious vegetables. Are you allergic to anything?" He asked as he handed me the sandwich.

I took it from his hand. "You should've asked me that before buying anything, but I have no allergies as far as I'm aware of." I peeled off the wrapper and started eating. The lady was right. It was indeed full of vegetables. I couldn't even taste any meat. I'm pretty sure this doesn't even have any in it.

"By the way, do you know those girls?" He asked as he pointed to a table of four girls sitting a bit near to us. I could recognize three of them since they were our classmates. I think one of them was called Lilac, but it was the first time I've seen the fourth one.

"Some of them are our classmates." I answered. "Why do you ask?"

"They were talking about you earlier before I came here. They were deciding to sit here with you or not, but then I sat down, so I guess they decided not to."

So they were talking about me... Why the hell? "I was kinda trying to sleep earlier so I had no idea what was happening."

"Understandable." He replied as he laughed.

We continued to eat and talk until lunch time was over. While eating, I glanced every now and then to the table of the four girls. I have no idea why, but I could feel there was something about them. Something about them just makes me feel curious. If only I could put my finger on it.

The day went on, and we didn't do anything special. Just like White said, it was just introductions. The teacher after lunch didn't even show up, but our last teacher did and she just made us introduce ourselves.

Finally, it was dismissal time. White and I decided to head down together. I didn't even notice how close we both got. We actually spent the whole day together. I guess I'm a bit happy that I decided to stick with him, but I'm still a bit anxious. I'm just hoping it won't happen to me again... I don't want White to lose his color, just like all of my past friends.

We parted ways as soon as we reached the school gate. His house was in the opposite direction of mine so we couldn't walk home together. I took my phone out of my pocket and plugged my earphones in it. I scrolled through my music to find something to listen to. I totally forgot I had music in this thing. I decided to play Faith Marie's song, Antidote. It's one of those songs that just makes me feel relaxed. I have a whole playlist of my relaxing songs, but I'm in the mood to listen to all of my songs right now.

I got home and immediately opened the door.

"I'm home!" I exclaimed as I walked inside. I headed upstairs to go to my room, but I was stopped by my Aunt Autumn calling me.

"Black, stop right there." She said. She was still wearing that sky blue apron from earlier this morning. I guess she was still cooking up dinner. "How was your first day?"

I didn't notice it at first, but I guess I must've smiled a bit since she looked happy when I replied. "It was great, Aunt Autumn." I replied as I clenched the necklace she gave to me this morning.


	5. Ep 05: Fated Meeting

**Black's POV**

It was a Wednesday morning, and I was on my way to school. This time, I decided to play some Against The Current songs. They aren't really my type of band. I'm more of an emo kind of guy, but I guess it's better than listening to sad songs that are gonna make me more sad.

I got to an intersection near our house, then something popped into my mind. Lilac has color too now. I still want to keep the distance between me and my classmates, so I hope nothing changes between us. I'm fine with White being the only person I talk to. I don't think I can handle another person in my life.

I got to our classroom and I immediately headed to my seat. I slouched down on my desk and closed my eyes. Sweet, peaceful comfort.

"Good morning, Black." A female voice greeted me. I spoke too soon. I looked towards the direction of the voice and saq Lilac sitting on the desk in front of me. "You look like you're enjoying your morning." She said with a slight chuckle.

Great, now I gotta socialize with this girl too. "Is it really that obvious?" I replied rather sarcastically.

"Hey, Lilac!" A female voice shouted from across the classroom. We both looked to see who it was and saq one of Lilac's friends beckoning her to come.

"Oh, sorry. My friend's calling me. I'll be right back." She said as she stood up and walked there.

"Black!" A familiar voice called to me. I suddenly felt a tight hug beside me. It was just White. "I see you're already replacing me with a girl. You're hurting me." He said in a mocking voice.

"Shut up, man." I said as I pushed him away. I do admit, I am interested in Lilac a bit. She's really pretty.

"So who was the girl?" He asked.

"Our classmate, Lilac." I replied.

"Lilac, huh?" He said with a rather soft voice. I looked to his direction and my heart sank. He was blushing, and the sorrowful look on his face says it all.

**_-He likes her-_**

"Hey, White." I called him.

**_-Don't do it-_**

"Do you want me to introduce you to her?" I asked.

**_-Stop-_**

His face lit up with excitement. "Really??? You'll introduce me to her?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about it." I replied.

Lilac finished talking with her friends and headed towards our direction.

"Sorry if that took long. They were just amazed I managed to talk to the Ice Prince." She laughed. God, even her laugh is adorable.

"It's fine." I replied. "Have I introduced you guys yet?" I asked as I pointed at White.

The expression on his face stiffened, obviously from embarrassment. "H-hello there." He stuttered. "I'm W-White. Nice to m-meet you." He said as he held out his hand for a handshake.

"I know you, Prince Charming." Lilac replied with a smirk. "You're famous throughout the whole school. Who wouldn't know you?" She said as she returned the handshake. "My name is Lilac. Nice to meet you too."

I guess my work here is done.

**_-Why are you doing this to yourself-_**

I'm not doing anything.

**_-Does it feel nice-_**

No. It doesn't.

**_-Then why-_**

There doesn't have to be a reason.

**_-Why sacrifice your happiness for a person you barely know-_**

He's a friend. That's already enough reason. I'd rather see him happy than be the reason for his sadness.

**_-Why do you keep lying to yourself-_**

"Hey, I'm gonna head to the bathroom real quick. You two just get to know each other." I said as I stood up and headed out of the classroom.

I felt something wet dropping on my hands. I wiped my face because it might just be sweat, but it wasn't. It was tears. Tears were falling from my face as I sped up to head to the bathroom.

I finally arrived, and thankfully there was no one here. Why the hell am I doing this to myself? I headed towards the tap to wash my face.

"This is quite a sight to see." A voice said as I heard a stall door close. "I didn't know the Ice Prince had emotions." I looked and saw a male grey figure. Well, obviously it'd be a boy. What would a girl be doing in the boy's bathroom? "What could've happened that made you like this?"

"It's nothing." I replied. There was no point in letting this conversation go on. He's grey.

I collected some water on the palm of my hands and brought it up to my face. I could hear the tap beside me open. I couldn't see anything, so I wiped my face with my handkerchief. I looked at the mirror in front of me to see myself again, and beside me was quite a shock to see. The boy from the stall wasn't grey anymore. He had this bright crimson color. His spiky and messy hair was the color of autumn, almost the same as my aunt. He was wearing a khaki sweater, which honestly looked fashionable as hell, and dark ripped jeans with a brown leather belt, which had his school pin. He had a black piercing on his right ear, which made him look kinda dangerous.

"You sure there's nothing wrong?" He asked as he looked at me. "I'm all ears if you need someone to listen." He looked genuinely worried for me, a stranger.

I finally finished washing my face. "No need." I said as I walked towards the door.

"Well." He added as I stopped. "If you ever feel the need to talk to me, you can find me in the music department. Room 506. Bye, Ice Prince." I continued to open the door and walked out.

The day went on normally. I've noticed White and Lilac talk more throughout the day. It was a bittersweet sight for me, but seeing him happy... That's enough for me.

The bell for dismissal rang, and I gathered my things to go home.

"Hey, Black." White called me. "We're going out to eat. Come on. Come with us." He beckoned me. He was with Lilac and a group of people, probably Lilac's friends, but they're grey...

"Can't. I've got some errands to do." I replied. "Have fun though."

"Oh." He said, with his happy expression turning sad. "Next time, then." He smiled, in a rather lonely way, and then proceeded to walk out with the rest of the crowd.

Room 506, huh?


	6. Ep 06: Reputation

**Black's POV**

"Hey, isn't that him?" A voice from the crowd asked.

"What's the Ice Prince doing here?" Another added.

"He's way more handsome up close."

"Is he here to see somebody?"

I heard all the students around say these kinds of stuff while I was around the music department, trying to find room 506. Am I really that famous? Also, what the hell am I even doing here? Am I really this desperate to talk to somebody?

I finally got to the doors of room 506. Oh, shoot. I just realized something. I came in the spur of the moment, but I don't even know the name of that boy.

"Is that the Ice Prince?" I could hear someone ask from the inside.

"What's he doing in our classroom?"

"Do you think he might be here to see somebody?"

I kept hearing the same things over and over again, but I guess it's a nice change of pace from the words I used to hear before.

**_-Weird-_**

I know.

**_-Freak-_**

I know.

**_-What's he even doing here-_**

I don't know.

**_-Outcast-_**

"Uh, hello there." A light voice said. I snapped back to reality and saw a small female grey figure in front of me. "Are you looking for somebody?" She asked.

"I think..." What was he wearing again? "Is there anybody here with spiky auburn hair and a khaki sweater?"

"Is he talking about Crimson?" A voice from inside the classroom asked again.

"What business does he have with him?" Another murmured.

Crimson? Is that his name? Why did I suddenly feel goosebumps all over me?

"Oh." The girl said, almost like she was scared. "He might be in the music room, just at the end of this hall." She said as she pointed to the left. "I don't know what business you have with him, but it might be better if you avoid him..."

"Thanks." I replied. "And I'll be the judge if I wanna hang out with him."

What have I gotten myself into? Is he like some kind of mafia and I'm gonna be killed? No, he said to come to him if I wanna talk. Wait, do I really even wanna talk? I don't know what kinda demon went inside my body to make me go here.

_~~~~~~_

Huh? I heard a faint sound of someone strumming a guitar. It sounded beautiful. I walked towards the direction of the sound. The closer I walked, the louder it got, then a voice started to sing.

_~Outside we're lonely, but we are free~_

This song... This is by Against The Current!

_~We're misfits, rebels, creeps, and freaks~_

His voice... It's softer compared to the original singer.

_~How come they've got it figured out~_

It's so...

_~While we're lost, waiting to be found~_

I didn't even notice it, but I was in front of a door. More specifically, it was the door of the music room, and the singing was coming from inside it. I guess the voice kinda hypnotized me to walk here.

His voice was so soothing, but it felt sad... Lonely... His voice sounded lost... Just looking for somewhere to fit in...

I knocked on the door and opened it. "Sorry, am I disturbi-" I stopped at the sight I saw. At the middle of the room was the same boy from the bathroom earlier, sitting on a chair with a guitar in his hand, but he had tears dripping down on his face.

He wiped the tears from his face. "Are you perhaps here to take me up on my offer?" He asked.

"Honestly, I don't even know why I'm here, but I guess I might need someone to talk to." I told him as I grabbed a chair to sit down next to him. "But hey..."

'Yeah?" He asked as he tuned his guitar. Now that I look at him closer, he looks like a delinquent. Wait... Is this what the girl was trying to tell me??? He's a delinquent?

"What's your name?" I asked.

His face suddenly turned red. "Oh my God, I forgot to tell you my name!" He became flustered and fell down from his chair. This guy can't possibly be a delinquent.

I stood up as I offered my hand to help him up. "Are you okay?" I asked as he grabbed it and I pulled him up.

"Yeah. Thanks." He replied as he fixed himself and sat back down. "My name is Crimson. What about you, Ice Prince?"

"Stop calling me that. My name's Black."

"Black, huh?"

"Why?"

"Nothing. It's just the first time I've heard of a name like that."

"Well, it's not like Crimson is a common name too."

He smiled, kinda like a dorky smile. "Touche, Ice Prince."

"I told you to stop calling me that."

"No promises." He chuckles. "So what was it you wanted to talk about?"

I thought for a bit... What did I wanna talk about? "Here's the thing..." I explained to him that I may have a slight crush on Lilac, and that White, my best friend, might have a crush on her too. I continued my story up to the part about me trying to hook them up. I never told him their names, so I'm sure he won't figure out who I'm talking about. Especially since White is well known too.

"That's hard." He said as he stopped strumming for a bit. "About what you did... It was a nice thing to do, but what about you?"

"Me? Why?" I asked, very confused.

"Well, if you did that to make your friend happy, then what about your happiness?"

I tilted my head to the side. "My happiness?" I fidgetted my hands, thinking hard on what to say. I looked back at him and tried to smile normally. "I'm happy as long as he is."

He started strumming the guitar. "You aren't ever gonna be satisfied with your life unless you start putting yourself first. It's okay to help your friends, but remember that you need to be happy too." He started singing.

_~I'll have my black suit, black tie, hanging out in the back~_

His voice is just so soothing...

_~I'll take a strong shot of whisky, straight out the flask~_

I couldn't even say a word.

_~I'll try to make it through without crying so nobody sees~_

I just wanna listen to it whole day.

_~She's the one I wanna marry~_

This song is just...

_~But she don't wanna marry me~_

Sorrowful... His voice fits perfectly. It hurts... But he's right. I need to think of my own happiness too, but I don't wanna ruin White's happiness...

The song finished, but he just continued strumming.

"Did you like the song?" He asked.

'It was good. Your voice is nice too." I replied.

"Maybe that's why I'm in the music department." He joked and laughed a little.

"Can I ask you something?" I fidgetted my hands again. I'm not even sure if I should ask this...

"Go ahead."

"Somebody from your class told me to stay away from you..." He flinched. "Can I ask why?"

He stopped strumming and suddenly lifted his feet up. He looked at me and smiled, but this time, I could see it. His smile was full of sadness. "I don't have a good reputation here."

"What? Why? You seem like such a good person."

He leaned back on his chair. "Well, I used to pick fights a lot in my old school, and I guess the news spread, so when I transferred here, lots of people tried to pick a fight with me too. I guess people became scared of me because of it. Not that I mind it, though." He gripped his guitar tighter. "At least in this peace and quiet, I can make music properly. It's not like I'm lonely or anything."

"Well." I stood up. "If you ever feel the need to talk to me, you can find me in the arts department. Room 308."

He stared in shock at first, but it turned into a dorky smile. "Thanks, Ice Prince." He said as he formed his hand into a fist and put it out. I thought he wanted a fist bump.

I sighed. "Stop calling me that." I replied as I returned the fist bump and smiled.

You don't have to be alone anymore.


	7. Ep 07: The Delinquent

**Black's POV**

A few days have passed since I first talked to Crimson. I started to visit the music department more often since then. We don't really do anything important. We just talk, relax, and do random stuff, but there's something I've noticed ever since that day. The rumours about me started to change.

It was dismissal time, and I was fixing my things to go up to the music room again, but then I was stopped by White, who took a seat on my desk.

"Can we talk?" He asked.

I stared at him, and noticed his look of concern. "Sure." I replied. "What is it?"

"Well, I've heard that you've been hanging out with someone suspicious after school."

"Suspicious? What are you trying to say?" I said, my voice sounding a bit angry.

"I don't mean to say anything bad. It's just, I've heard that you're hanging out with the delinquent from the music department."

"I am, and can you not call him a delinquent? He's a really nice guy."

"But he is!" He exclaimed, his voice getting a bit louder. "He's been involved in a lot of fights ever since the start of the school year."

"And you believe that shit?"

"Because that's what people are saying!"

I slammed my hands on my desk, then stood up. "I haven't been hanging out with him for the longest time, but from the time that I have, I can confidently say that he's not as bad as the other people say. You're just one of those people that listen to the majority instead of finding out the real story." I grabbed my bag. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be going." I said as I walked away.

How could he even say that? Crimson's not a bad person. He just doesn't know anything. God, it's pissing me off.

"Is it true?" I heard the people around me talk again.

"Do you think he's being threatened?"

Doesn't this piss him off? How can he just take what people are saying about him? It's so goddamn annoying.

I finally get to the music room and saw Crimson playing the guitar by the window like always. He stopped strumming as soon as he saw me. "Oh, hey." He greeted me with a smile.

I walked towards him and took a seat next to him. "Hey." I replied as I took my sketchbook out and started sketching some random stuff.

"Uh, are you okay?" He asked. "You look horrible."

I sighed loudly. "It's fine. There's nothing to worry about." I replied.

He started strumming again. "Suit yourself." The melodic tones radiate throughout the room. "I'm still here if you need to talk." He started to sing.

_~Promise I'm not playing tricks on you~__~You're always welcome to come in~_

How does his voice do this every single time?

_~You can stay here for an hour or two if you ever need a friend~_

It's like a trigger. It makes me feel weak...

_~We can talk about the noise when you're ready, but 'til then~_

Vulnerable...

_~I'll say it must have been the wind, must have been the wind~_

I hate it.

"Actually..." I said. "There's something bothering me."

He looked at me and smiled. "What is it?" He asked as he continued strumming.

"Aren't you bothered?"

"By what?"

"The rumours. Isn't it uncomfortable that people think so horribly of you when you're such a nice guy."

He continued to strum, but the melody became sadder and lighter. "I'm not as nice as you think."

"What?" He smiled at me, but this time, his smile wasn't the dorky one he always does. It was sadder, like the melody of the guitar. It looked lonely, and doubtful... It almost looked like he was guilty of something...

He stopped strumming. "I'm gonna head home. What about you?" He asked.

"I'm gonna stay here for a bit." I replied. "Take care."

He stood up and walked towards the door. He smiled at me again before leaving.

Did I say something wrong? Was it too much of a personal question?

No. Stop overthinking Black. It's fine. It's gonna be fine, right?

After a few minutes, I finally decided to go home. The sun was already setting and there weren't too many people at school. It was only just students doing club activities. I didn't join any clubs because of my condition. I don't wanna be in a clubroom with only grey people there. It'll just be uncomfortable for me and for them.

"Oh." A voice behind me said. I turned around to see Lilac carrying a bag full of art supplies. "Hey there." She said.

"That looks heavy. Want me to carry it for you?" I offered.

"No, thank you. I can probably handle this." She replied as she struggled to carry the bag.

I take the bag from her. "Really, it's no bother. Let me walk you home. You look like you're about to fall."

She stared at me with a shocked expression on her face, but then smiled. "Thank you. I live just a few blocks from here."

"Come on, then." I said as I walked ahead of her. She caught up and walked beside me. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I just had some club activities." She replied.

"What club are you in?"

"The arts club."

"Well, that makes sense."

"What about you?"

"I don't have a club."

"What? Then what are you doing here?"

"I-" Should I tell her I was with Crimson? "I was just sketching."

"Where? I don't think I saw you at the classroom."

"I was at the music room. On the fifth floor."

"Oh." She stopped for a bit. "Then the rumors must be true. You're hanging out with that Crimson guy, right?"

How the hell did the rumors even get to her? "Uh, well..." I stuttered.

She walked in front of me and faced me. "You don't have to hide anything." She assured me. "I'm sure he's a nice guy. Why else would you be hanging out with him?" She took the bag from my hand. "This is my house. Thanks for walking me home. See you tomorrow." She said as she entered her house.

Her mom opened the door and saw me. I waved a little and tried to smile. She waved back and gestured for Lilac to come in. I proceeded walking home right after.

Why can't everbody just be as understanding as her... But now that I think about it, Crimson mentioned something earlier...

What did he mean by he's not as nice as I think? Did something happen to him? But I guess I shouldn't pry into it too much. I'll just wait until he's ready to talk... No matter how long it will take.

Oh, and I should probably apologize to White too. He must be upset with what I did earlier. I feel a bit sorry too. I didn't mean to shout at him. I really don't want any bad blood between the two of us. Guess I'll have some stuff to do tomorrow then.


	8. Ep 08: The Missing Light

**Black's POV**

"What?! White is absent??" I asked, obviously very confused.

"Yeah. I texted him earlier to ask him what happened, but he hasn't replied yet." Lilac replied.

Crap. Is it because of what I said yesterday? I didn't mean to hurt his feelings.

"Oh... Is that so?" I replied.

"Don't you have his number?"

"I don't..."

"Why? Aren't you two friends?"

"I keep forgetting to ask..."

"Well, do you wanna visit his house later? We can go check on him. I'll ask some of my friends to come too."

"Oh." I reacted negatively. "I was thinking it could just be the two of us. I have something rather important to tell him."

She stared at me confused at first, but then smiled right after. "If that's the case, then sure. I won't ask anyone else to come." She said. Her smile is so beautiful, but it hurts everytime she does it, because I know White would love it more...

"A-anyway, class is about to begin. Let's talk again later." I said as I went back to my seat.

The day felt much more lonely without him. Like an important piece was missing from a puzzle. It"s just one day, but why does it feel way longer than it really is?

It was finally dismissal time and Lilac immediately went to me. "Hey, Black. Let's go. It'll be a long trip." She told me.

"What? How long?" I asked.

"About an hour, so we need to head now."

"Oh sure. Can we stop by the music department first? I have to see someone."

"Sure."

We both headed to the music department, but the rumours are different again this time. It's like anything about me becomes a big issue.

"Is that his girlfriend?" A voice from the crowd asked.

"I thought the Ice Prince wasn't interested in girls?" Another asked as well.

"Isn't the Ice Prince gay?" Okay, now these rumours are just pissing me off.

I can hear you people...

"Wow, how can you stand this?" Lilac suddenly asked.

"Stand what?"

"These rumours. Why won't you say anything?" Her voice getting a bit louder.

"Hey, calm down." There's no point in talking to grey figures, but it's not like she'll believe me when I tell her. "I'm just at that point in life where I don't even care anymore. So don't worry about it, okay?" I said as I patted her head lightly.

"Fine. It just sucks that people are saying these kinds of stuff about you."

"I understand how you feel, but it's not like I can do anything to stop these rumours." We stopped since we were in front of the music room. We heard the strumming of a guitar from the inside. "We're here. This'll just take a few minutes."

"The guitar sounds beautiful." She said.

"I know." I replied. "It's one of the reasons I come here everyday." I opened the door and saq Crimson strumming the guitar while humming a song by the window.

He turned to look at me. "Oh, you're here. You took so long, I thought you weren't coming." He jokingly said as he did that dorky smile of his.

"I'm kinda not. I'm just here to tell you that I'm going somewhere today." I explained.

"So this is the infamous delinquent?" Lilac whispered behind me.

"Well, who are you, little miss?" Crimson asked.

"I'm not even that small." She replied as she gripped my shoulders. In fact, she was right. Crimson was taller than the both of us, but not by a lot. Maybe about a few centimeters.

"Yeah, whatever you say." He stood up and places his guitar by the chair he was sitting on. He came closer to us and waved at Lilac. "I am, in fact, the infamous delinquent. The name's Crimson. What about you, little miss?"

"Lilac, and I told you I'm not that small." She gripped my shoulders tighter.

"Hey Lilac, it kinda hurts." I told her. "There's no need to be scared of him. I told you he's a nice guy."

She let go. "Sorry. I was just shocked." She replied. "Anyway, we really should be going now."

He went back to his guitar and placed it inside its case. "I'm coming with you guys. Since Black isn't gonna be here, then I'm heading home." He picked up his bag. "Let's go."

How did this even happen? I've got an ensemble of people I never thought would ever hang out with me. A campus beauty, and a rumoured delinquent.

"So where are you guys going?" Crimson asked.

"Going to a friend's house." Lilac replied in a very condescending tone.

Crimson grabbed Lilac's cheeks and squished it. "Look, princess, you're lucky you're cute, or else I would've punched you in the face."

She slapped his hands away from her. "Don't touch me!" She exclaimed. "Black, can you tell your friend to stay away from me?"

"Okay, guys, break it up. It's good that you're getting along, but no violence. And Crimson, we're gonna be visiting White." I explained.

"Does he even know who White is?" Lilac asked.

"Of course I do. Everybody knows the two princes of the school." Crimson said, looking a bit proud.

"You sure know your news."

"Of course. Everyone talks about it."

"Hey, guys." I interrupted. "We're at the school gates. So where will you be heading, Crimson?" I asked.

"Left. My apartment is a few blocks from here." He replied.

"We're going right from here. Bye." Lilac said.

"Bye, Crimson. See you tomorrow." I added.

Lilac and I headed towards the train station. "The trains?" I asked.

"I told you it's gonna be a long trip." She replied.

I sighed loudly. "How do you even know where he lives?" I asked.

"We talked last night through the phone." She saysid as the both of us stepped inside the train. "The topic kinda strayed into where we lived."

"That kinda makes sense." We both sat down. "I've noticed you two have grown closer."

"Well, I might have to thank you for that."

"What? Me?"

"White told me about what you did for him. You're such a great friend." She said as she rested her head on my shoulder. "Can you wake me up when we get to the next stop?" She asked as she yawned

"Yeah, don't worry about it." I replied.

"Thanks." She said as she closed her eyes.

OH MY GOD, THIS IS UNHEALTHY FOR MY HEART. IT'S ABOUT TO BURST OUT OF MY CHEST. HELP ME, LORD.

But besides that, Lilac mentioned that White told her about what I did. That boy... Why did he even tell her? Wait, so he knew that I did it for him? I guess he isn't as dumb as I thought he was. I swear he looks dumber than he really is. Especially with those tacky hoodies that he wears.

Lilac looked so beautiful sleeping. How can someone look so good while sleeping? I hate how I'm feeling. I have to move on from her. I'm only hurting myself by still having feelings for her. I don't even understand why I like her...

**Now arriving at -- Station. I repeat, now arriving at -- Station.**

Oh, we're here. I shook Lilac lightly to hopefully wake her up. "Hey, we're here." I told her.

She slowly opened her eyes. "That was a bit faster than I thought." She yawned then stood up. "Come on, let's go."

We walked for a few minutes until we reached this small apartment complex. It doesn't look like the best, but it's probably perfect for a person living alone.

"Is this it?" I asked.

"Uh, I think so? His apartment is the one on the further most right at the fourth floor." Lilac explained.

We headed to the fourth floor using the stairs since there wasn't anything else to use. Why won't these places install elevators? I guess they're probably more expensive than how much I think they cost.

"Have you ever thought about living alone?" Lilac asked.

"Like renting an apartment?" I replied.

"Yeah. Most of our classmates are already doing it, and honestly I want to do it too."

"I guess I think about it sometimes." I really don't. "I just don't think it's a good idea for me."

"Why?"

Crap, I didn't think this through. "I have no idea how to cook, so I'd probably die the day I decide to live alone."

She chuckled for a bit, but then stopped when we both realize we were at the front door of White's supposed apartment.

I knocked on the door, and a few minutes passed. There was no answer. I knocked on the door again. "Hey, White? It's me, Black. I'm here with Lilac." Again, there was no answer.

"Wait a sec. Let me try calling him." Lilac said as she took her phone out and typed in his number. We both heard a ringing sound coming from inside the apartment, but White wasn't answering. "Black... I'm worried..." She said, tugging the sleeves of my jacket.

My heart started to beat fast. "Wait, calm down. We can try calling the cops." I suggested.

"What are we even gonna say to them? We have no reason to call."

"Maybe we can try breaking down the door?"

"Black, that's called trespassing."

"Then what do you suggest we do? Something might be happening in there."

"Is... Is that really the smartest move?"

Come on Black, think. Think of something sensible to do in this situation. Oh, I know!

"Lilac, do you have like a pin I could borrow?" I asked.

She took one off from her hair. "Yeah, here you go." She replied as she handed it to me.

I started to pick the lock, just hoping I would succeed, and shockingly I did. The door was unlocked and the both of us quickly opened it to check what was happening inside, and what we found was a horrible sight.

There was White's body, unconscious on the ground, with loads of pills and a pool of blood surrounding him. His phone was still ringing beside him, and it looked like this just happened recently by the state of the blood.

"Oh my God!" Lilac exclaimed. "No... This can't be happening! No!" She rushed to White's body. "White! Wake up, White! White, answer me!"

I rushed towards his body too and tried to feel his pulse. It was weak, but he at least was still alive. "Lilac, call an ambulance! Please! I don't know how long he can still make it!" I told her.

"I'm on it!"

Goddamn it, White! Why?! Why the hell would you do this?!

I rushed to find some clothes inside the apartment to cover up his wounds and hopefully stop the blood from flowing out of his body. What the hell happened to him? How could he do this?

I reached for his phone, to hopefully find some clues. It was just full of missed calls and texts from Lilac, and a few missed calls from an unknown number. The phone was locked so I couldn't really check what conversations he may have had.

"Lilac, how long till help gets here??" I asked. I was panicking. I don't know what to do in situations like these.

"About two minutes." She replied with tears in her eyes. I stood up to comfort her.

"It'll be fine. Don't worry." I pulled her in for a hug. "White's gonna make it. I promise."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

-No you aren't-

No. Please stop messing with my head.

-White's dying, and you're both standing here doing nothing-

We already called for help.

-Pathetic-

Shut up.

-Pitiful-

Shut up!

"Black, are you okay?" Lilac asked. "You look pale."

"I'm fine." I replied as I let go of her and took a seat beside White. "I'm just worried about White."

The sound of sirens from afar started to echo.

"They're here!" Lilac exclaimed.

Thank God. Thank God they're here. I felt a sudden grip on my hand. I turned my head and saw White's hand grabbing mine.

"H-ey there, B-Black..." He said in a very weak and shaky voice.

"Stop talking, White! Please!" I exclaimed.

"I really... Wanted to see... You..."

I could feel the tears in my eyes. "Please, White. Stop talking... You're gonna be okay."

"He's here! Please help him!" Lilac exclaimed as the hospital employees rushed inside to bring White to the ambulance.

White... Goddamn it! Please be okay...


	9. Ep 09: Come Back Home

**White's POV**

Black slammed his hands on his desk and stood up. He looked at me with a menacing look in his eyes. "I haven't been hanging out with him for the longest time." He said. "But from the time that I have, I can confidently say that he's not as bad as the other people say. You're just one of those people that listen to the majority instead of finding out the real story." He grabbed his bag. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be going." He said as he walked away.

Shit... I messed up. I didn't mean for it to escalate like this. If I run to him now, I can catch up to him.

"Whatever you're thinking, I don't think it's a good idea." A voice said. I turned around and saw Lilac. "I'm pretty sure you chasing him would just make this a lot worse. Give him some time to cool off." She said. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

I sighed. "Yeah." I replied as I grabbed a seat and sat down.

She sat down too. "So, what happened? This is the first time I've seen Black this pissed. Well, he doesn't really show his emotions, so this is really the first time I've seen him pissed off."

"Well, you've heard the rumors, right? About Black hanging out with the delinquent in the music department?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"I confronted him about it. I didn't mean to say anything bad about the guy he's hanging out with, but I was just concerned. Like, who wouldn't be concerned for their best friend right?"

"Well, if you ask me, you should've watched what you said." She said as she stood up and picked her bag up. "I heard what he said earlier, and he's right. You don't know anything, so you really didn't have any reasons to say anything bad about the guy. I'm gonna be heading to the clubroom. Text me if you wanna talk again. Also, I suggest you apologize to Black. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear it." She then proceeded to the door and left.

Apologize, huh? Well, guess I'll just wait for him here.

So that's what I did, and I eventually fell asleep.

I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I lifted my head and saw a boy with spiky auburn hair. He had a piercing on his right ear, and was wearing a denim jacket. He also had a guitar strapped on his back. "Sorry if I woke you up. I was just passing by and I thought I saw a ghost. I'm so glad you're an actual human." He chuckled a bit.

I yawned and stretched my arms. "Thanks for waking me up. I'm actually waiting for someone." I explained.

"And who might that be, Prince Charming?" He said in a slightly mocking voice.

"You know me?" I asked, very confused.

"The wonders of what rumors can do." He winked and started to walk away.

I ran to catch up to him. "Wait up. Let's walk together."

"I thought you were waiting for someone?"

"He might already be home at this time." I sighed. "I'll just talk to him tomorrow."

"Might this person you're waiting for be the infamous Ice Prince?" The boy asked with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah." I replied. "How'd you know?"

"Nothing."

"Uh, so are you in the music department?"

"Is it obvious?"

"Do you enjoy being sarcastic?"

"Yeah, kinda. It fuels me when people get pissed at me."

I don't know, but I felt a sudden urge to punch this guy in the face. "Did you by any chance see him there? He said he was meeting a friend."

He smirked again. "Nope. I just came from there and didn't see anyone." We arrived at the gate. "I'm going in this direction." He said as he proceeded to walk left.

"Alright. I'm going in the opposite direction." I replied. "Oh, I forgot to ask your name." I said.

He stopped and faced me. "My name's Crimson. The delinquent of the music department. It was nice meeting you, Prince Charming." He winked then started to walk again.

Wait... WAIT! What the hell just happened? That was the delinquent everybody is so afraid of?! I don't understand.

I took my phone out and continued walking.

**-21 unread messages-**

I sighed loudly and opened my inbox.

**-White, please answer-****-Call me once you see this-****-Stop ignoring me-****-Please it's something important-**

I called the sender of the messages. It was ringing, but nobody was answ-

***click***

"White?? Is that you???" A raspy female voice asked on the other line. "It's been months since we last talked. You have no ide-"

I interrupted her. "What do you want from me, mom?" I asked, with a bit of anger in my voice. Yes, the person that sent those messages was my mom. I left home last year due to some issues, and she's been bugging me non-stop ever since.

"Of course... It's about your grandmother... She's been rushed to the hospital..." My heart dropped. "She's in terrible condition right now, and..." She started crying. "... And I don't know how long she has left. Please see her, White. Just this once. Come back home and see her."

***click***

I ended the call.

Fuck! Why now? Shit, I don't feel good. I needed to hurry home.

I started to run towards the train station, and when I finally arrived home, I used the key to open up my door. I rushed inside and looked in the cabinet of my room.

"They're here." I mumbled to myself.

I grabbed the case of pills and took one. This should make me feel better. I just need to rest, but I really need someone to talk to. Should I call Black? Shit, I forgot I don't have his number... I scrolled through the contacts in my phone and dialed the number of one of them.

***click***

"Hello?" A female voice answered on the other line.

"Lilac, can we talk?" I asked.

"Sure. What's up?" She replied.

"I met Crimson earlier..."

"And?"

"Well..." I stopped for a bit. "He's nicer than what I was expecting."

She chuckled. "Then you get why Black got mad at you earlier?"

"Yeah. I kinda get it now. That's why I'm apologizing tomorrow." Wait, I'm not even sure if I can even come to school tomorrow.

"Why not call him now?"

"I kinda don't have his number..."

"What?? How long have you two been friends?" She asked, sounding a bit shocked.

"About a month now..." I replied. "Look, I just keep forgetting to ask him."

She sighed deeply. "You two need to keep proper communication if you're gonna be friends."

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry."

"Oh, yeah."

"What?"

"Black walked me home earlier. We also kinda talked."

"Really? What did you guys talk about?"

"Nothing much, but I did confirm that he's been going to the music department every dismissal. He's been hanging out with that Crimson guy."

"Huh? I was with Crimson earlier though."

"What? Maybe Crimson went home first?"

That asshole. That's why he had a smirk on his face. He knew I was waiting for Black and he didn't even bother to tell me.

"Yeah, maybe." I replied. "Hey, you wanna come over tomorrow?" I asked.

"To your house?" She replied.

"Yeah. It's a bit far from school, but I can walk you home right after. I already texted you the address."

"Oh, you wanna walk me home too? Are you perhaps jealous?" She asked in a bit of a mocking voice.

"What??" I stuttered a bit. "O-of course I'm n-not!"

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say. Oh, I've gotta go now. My mom's gonna be mad if I don't go to sleep soon. Bye. See you tomorrow."

***click***

Tomorrow, huh? I guess just one visit won't hurt anyone.


	10. Ep 10: Save Me

**White's POV**

***click***

"Hello? White?" The voice on the other end of the line asked.

"I'm on my way." I replied.

"Oh, let me drive you h-" I interrupted.

"No need. Bye."

***click***

I can't believe I'm doing this. When was the last time I saw my family? Four, five months ago? I couldn't stand being in that house... It's like being treated like a freak. Well, I don't blame them.

I tried to kill myself two years ago. I'm what you'd call a nerd at school. I didn't have any friends, and my grades were the only thing I've got going for me. Because of this, I was the perfect target for bullying. I transferred schools when I was in ninth grade because of my dad's work, and that's when my life started to become even more of a mess.

At first, it was just harmless. They'd hide my stuff, they'd call me names, and if I was lucky, they'd just pretend that I didn't exist. Then it gradually got worse as time went on.

They started writing on my desk, spread rumors throughout the school, dumped water on me, threw food at me, and beat me up. I didn't wanna worry my parents, so I never said anything. I just stayed quiet. "It'll pass." I told myself. "They'll eventually get bored.", but they never did.

One day, when I thought there was nobody at home, I took the pills my mom had stored in her cabinet for her health, and then took them all. I emptied one whole bottle, then I started to lose consciousness. Next thing I knew, I was inside an ambulance with my mom crying beside me and my dad comforting her. Turns out my little sister was home and heard a noise coming from my parent's room. She went to investigate and saw me lying unconscious on the floor. She immediately called my parents and an ambulance, then I was rushed into the hospital.

"Where did I go wrong?" My mom sobbed as she struggled to talk.

I immediately regretted what I did after hearing her blame herself like that. I tried to say something, but it hurt too much to speak... You didn't go wrong anywhere.

"Don't worry, honey. He'll be fine. I just know it." My dad tried to comfort her.

After that, my vision started to blur and I couldn't hear anything else but the sirens of the ambulance. And just like a cue in a script, I lost consciousness again.

I stayed in the hospital for two weeks, then was taken to a psychiatrist right after. They told me I had depression, but that wasn't enough for my parents. I was taken to multiple psychiatrists since they couldn't accept the fact that I was suffering from it. They wanted to "fix" me even when there was nothing wrong. I could hear them talking at night about which hospitals to go to next, or which doctors to meet. I felt trapped, alone... It didn't feel like home anymore. It felt more like a jail cell, and I was the only inmate going through rehab.

It got to the point where I grew tired of it and started to fight back. It was like I didn't have a voice anymore, but then that's when she came. My grandma and I have been close ever since I was a baby. She loved my creativity for art, and I loved to paint for her. She was the only one who'd listen to me, and she was the one who encouraged me to run away from home.

A year after the incident, she gave me a large sum of money and recommended me to a friend she knows that could provide me with an apartment. It was cheap, so it was perfect. So I ran away, but of course it wasn't all so smooth. I received loads of calls from both of my parents, which I ignored every single time. After a month, my dad stopped calling me, but my mom was persistent. Every single day she called me at least twenty-five times, and one day I decided to answer.

***click***

The first thing I immediately heard was my mom crying heavily. There were no words. Just continuous crying.

"What do you want?" I asked, with a bit of anger in my voice.

"White..." She continued sobbing. "Please... Please, come back home. We miss you. I miss you. We just want to help you..."

I snapped. "Help? You wanted to help me?!" My voice was getting louder. "You've never wanted to help me! You were trying to fix me!"

"Honey, it's not-"

"No! Shut up! I never wanted to be fixed! I never needed to be fixed! You've never even asked if I wanted to do this! You were just doing this for your own gain! You didn't want one of your children to be fucked up!" I gasped for air. "Mom... You never went wrong anywhere... It was always me... Please, just leave me alone... I'm doing my best to be happy now..."

***click***

It's okay. It'll be okay... It'll all be okay...

**-Now arriving at -- Station-**

I heard the voice of the speaker. I opened my eyes a bit. I didn't even notice I fell asleep. I guess it was time to go to the hospital.

I got a part-time job to support myself so that I didn't need to keep relying on the money my grandma gave me, but then she called me again to say something important. She told me that she enrolled me in one of the most expensive art schools in the country, Artis Et Operis Academy. My tuition was already paid for, so I didn't have to worry about that anymore, but even then, I knew it was too much. I tried to tell her that she didn't need to do that, but the reply she gave me was far more than what I needed.

"I just want you to be happy. Continue your art, and maybe someday you can invite me to one of your art shows. And who knows? Maybe you can find more reasons to be happy in this new school."

Those words were all that I needed to agree and continue my passion.


	11. Ep 11: A Familiar Moment

**White's POV**

I arrived at the hospital and the first sight I saw was a few nurses and doctors panicking and rushing into the left wing of the hospital. I went to the front desk and asked for the room my grandma was staying in.

"Room 110." The girl at the front desk replied. "Your grandmother must love flowers." She commented. "She's so lucky to have a handsome boy like you deliver them."

"Thank you." I replied as I tried to smile.

I bought daffodils on the way here because it's been a long time since I've seen her. I remember picking some for her when I was really young, then she displayed it at the middle of their house. Even when it withered, she still wouldn't throw it away. It was a funny time, but I guess it's those sweet moments that I really appreciate.

I looked around to see which direction room 110was, and I saw a sign saying it was in the left wing. I started to walk slowly. I really miss my grandma. I have so much I wanna tell her.

A few more nurses passed me, panicking like the few others from before. I get a sudden chill, and I started to walk faster, until eventually I started to run, and there it was. There were the doctors and nurses that were in a hurry earlier, and they were escorting a body outside of a room. Room 110.

My heart dropped as I saw my mom and dad crying just outside the room. I dropped the flowers and rushed to the body. I had to see... I needed to see if it was really her. It couldn't be...

As I ran, a hand suddenly gripped my arm, stopping me. It was my little sister.

"White..." She started to cry. "I'm sorry... She's gone..."

She's gone? No... No! It can't be! This can't be happening!

I pushed my little sister back. "I'm going." I said.

"White-"

"I said I'm going!" I interrupted her.

Just like that, I started to feel horrible again. Tears were running down my face as I ran outside. I ran, and ran, and ran... Until I was at the train station.

I almost forgot. Lilac was visiting. I have to head home. I don't want to keep her waiting.

I finally arrived home and I decided to check on my phone. Missed calls from my mom again. I guess there's no need to keep this connection to the family anymore.

I deleted every single contact on my phone. Everyone, except Lilac. She was the only one I had left...

I wanted to rest... I needed to rest... Right, my sleeping pills. Everything was becoming a blur as I tried to walk around my apartment. I get to my room and opened the cabinet beside my bed. There were two things in there. The bottle of my pills, and a blade. I grabbed them both.

I stumbled through the apartment again until I collapsed on the floor, in front of the entrance.

"This sucks..." I mumbled to myself as I grabbed the blade and started to cut myself. "Why did you have to do this?" I continued cutting. "Why are you so useless?" I still continued as the blood from my wounds spilled all over me. "Grandma, I'm coming with you." As a last ditch resort, I took a bunch of pills and popped them in my mouth. Then, my vision faded completely...

"They're here!" I heard a loud voice exclaim as the sounds of sirens echoed.

I opened my eyes and saw Black beside me, looking worried. "H-ey there B-Black..." I said in a shaky voice. It hurt to even talk.

"Stop talking, White! Please!" He exclaimed.

"I really... Wanted to see... You..."

I wanted to tell you something important...

He started to tear up. "Please, White. Stop talking... You're gonna be okay." He begged.

Black... I'm sorry...

My vision faded to black again.

I woke up again, but this time I was in the ambulance with Lilac and Black. Lilac was crying her eyes out, while Black was comforting her. This was too much of a familiar scene.

Why am I regretting what I did? What is this feeling? Why do I feel so guilty about this? Oh, right... I know why...

It was my first day. I didn't know anyone, but that doesn't mean I was gonna miss my chance to make new friends. I didn't want what happened to me before, happen to me again. This time, I'm gonna be happy. I'll make sure of it.

I entered my classroom, but there was almost nobody there. Only a few people, but nobody that grabbed my attention. Nobody except one... At one of the seats beside the window was a boy sketching the view. Multiple people were approaching him, but he didn't talk to them. It was like he was in his own fantasy world.

I walked closer to check how his drawing looked, and I was shocked. It looked amazing. No wonder he was in the arts department. He's talented as hell. Damn, I wanna be friends with this person, but will he want to be friends with me though?

I took a seat behind him and waited until he finished sketching, but a teacher suddenly entered the room.

"So, your teacher for this subject is absent. He called earlier to say he got sick. Since it's the first day, take some time to get to know each other. That will be all." He announced, then left as fast he entered. He clearly meant business.

The boy in front of me suddenly stopped sketching and checked his watch. It was the perfect chance to get close to him.

I tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He turned his head to face me. "You were so busy drawing so you must've not heard about the teacher for this subject being absent." I told him. "Apparently, he got sick." He did nothing and just stared at me. I got so scared since he looked so pissed. "Is there something on my face?" I asked.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something." He replied. The angry expression on him faded. "Thanks for the heads up." He placed his sketchpad in his bag and began to walk to the door.

"Hey, wait!" I exclaimed as I grabbed his wrist. He looked at me with an angry expression, so I let go. "I was just thinking maybe we could go there together..."

He loudly sighed. "Fine." He replied. "Let's go... Uh..." He stopped talking.

Oh right. I forgot to introduce myself. "White. My name is White. Nice to meet you!" I smiled as I put out my hand for a handshake.

"My name's Black." He said as he returned it.

Yes! Finally, I'm gonna have a normal school life. I'm so freaking happy! Well, at least that's what I thought.

Ever since that day, I started following Black around. At first, he wasn't happy with the idea, but as time went on, he become more open to me, and we started to hang out more. We grew closer, but it still felt like we were so distant. He never told me private stuff about him, and I never told him private stuff about me. It was like we were friends, but we weren't as close as I thought.

But now that I saw him here, next to me in an ambulance, the distance we had before wasn't there anymore. It was like, for the first time, I've finally seen he really cares about me. I tried to show him that I cared about him too, but it was a dumb attempt. I tried to save him from someone who wasn't even a danger. I was a villain in the start of his grand fairytale.

I guess I was just scared. Scared that somebody might steal him away from me. Scared that I'll be left alone again and history will repeat itself. Scared that the only person I cared for was gonna start caring for somebody else. I'm sorry, Black.

"I'm sorry..."


	12. Ep 12: Sorry

**Black's POV**

It's been hours since we last saw White. Lilac and I have been waiting in the hospital's lobby the whole time. We were asked loads of questions by the workers of the hospital to determine what could've happened. They even asked us for details of any family members they could possibly call, but of course they couldn't get anything out of us since we didn't know anyone.

"Excuse me, is Mr. Variton and Ms. Rikki here?" A doctor asked as he walked into the lobby. Yes, my last name is Variton. It's so weird that I absolutely hate telling other people about it.

"We're here." Lilac replied as she stood up and raised her hand. She's been crying non stop since earlier, and hasn't stopped yet. "Is White okay now?" She asked.

The doctor came closer to us and smiled softly. "He's gonna be fine. He just needs his rest." He explained. "Now, are you sure you don't know of any family members that the patient has?"

"No, we don't." I replied.

The doctor sighed. "Since there isn't anyone here for him, would the two of you mind keeping an eye on him for tonight? Just in case he wakes up, he can be greeted by a familiar face."

"Of course we wouldn't mind." Lilac replied.

The doctor left and the two of us let out sighs of relief. "He's okay. That's so good to know." She said, finally smiling.

"It really is." I replied. "I'll be right back. I just gotta call my aunt to let her know I'm not coming home tonight."

"You aren't going home?" She asked.

"No. I'm gonna keep an eye on White."

"I don't mind doing it."

"I still have to tell him something important, remember?"

"Are you gonna apologize?" She suddenly asked.

"What?? How di-"

She interrupted me. "I heard you two that day. You know, he was just really worried about you. I'm sure he didn't mean to say anything bad."

"I know." I responded. "It's why I'm apologizing. Anyway, I'll be right back." I said as I left. I pulled out my phone and dialed Aunt Autumn's number.

***click***

"Hey, Aunt Autumn." I greeted her. "I won't be coming home tonight. I'm staying at a friend's."

"Really? Well, take care of yourself. What time are you coming home tomorrow?" She asked.

"Maybe around 7 or 8?"

"Alright, sweetie. Take care."

"Bye, Aunt Autumn. Thanks."

***click***

I came back to Lilac and saw her fixing her stuff. She saw me walking towards her and gestured for me to hurry up. "Come on. Let's go see White." She said.

"Right. Coming." I replied.

I fixed my things too and we both headed to White's room. We arrived and we both just stood in front of the door.

"Aren't we going in?" I asked.

"Actually, you go in first. I'm gonna get us some drinks." Lilac replied. "Is orange juice good for you?"

"Maybe some coffee." I replied.

"Okay. I'll be right back." She said. "You talk to him first. I'll go right after. I'm not ready to see him yet." She left and waved her hand.

Okay, Black. Just breathe. It's just White. What's there to be nervous about?

I opened the door slowly and there I saw White in a sitting position, looking at the window. He faced me, but turned away immediately. From the second I saw his face, it was full of regret and embarrassment.

I walked towards him slowly. "Hey..." I called to him.

He didn't respond. I could tell he was uncomfortable, but I wasn't gonna leave without apologizing.

I sat beside him. "Hey, White..." Still no response. "How've you been? We were so worried about you. We... I didn't know what to do when I saw you like that. If it's because I got mad at you, I'm sorry. I really am. I know you were probably just worried at me, but I... I just couldn't accept that you would believe those rumors. He's not as bad as you think. I promise." He still didn't move from his spot. He wouldn't even look at me. I guess that was my cue to leave. "That's all I wanted to say. I'll be going now. Just call me if you need anything." I stood up, but a tug on the sleeve of my jacket stopped me.

"I'm sorry." White said while letting go. "I'm sorry I said those things about him. I'm sorry for jumping into conclusions. I'm sorry for making you worry like this." He started to tear up. "And I'm sorry for being such a horrible friend, but please... Please don't leave me..." He begged, practically bawling his eyes out.

I sat back down. "White... Come here." I said as I stretched out my arms for a hug.

He looked at me in shock at first, but then he smiled a little and hugged me. "Are we still best friends?" He asked while sniffling.

"Of course. Still best friends." I responded.

A knock on the door interrupted us both, so we immediately let go. The door opened a bit.

"Hey, Black, is he awake?" Lilac asked.

"Yeah. He is. Sorry if I took a bit long. I was about to go anyway." I replied. "I'll just be outside if you need me." I told White.

I got up from my chair and walked outside the room, closing the door as I exited. I sat on one of the chairs beside the room's door, and let out a huge sigh of relief.

"You seem troubled." A male voice stated. I looked to see who it was and saw a grey figure. I didn't mind the other details since there was no point to it.

"It's nothing." I replied in a monotone voice, but then I suddenly felt emotions overwhelming me. It was a sudden flood of sadness and relief. How could this be? I talking to a grey figure...

"Are you sure?" He asked as he placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him again, but this time his grey colors were turning into a light blue shade. He had the face you'd see in a tv romance drama, so he was very good looking. He had medium-length chestnut brown hair with a bit of white higlights that's styled kind of like a korean idol. He was wearing a dark blue polo shirt with a white shirt on the inside. He also had a golden necklace, which I couldn't really see the design, but it kind of looked like a cross to me. "You look really pale." He said.

"I'll be fine." I replied. "I just need a drink or something." I said as I stood up and started to walk. I suddenly got a headache and lost my balance.

"Woah, watch out!" The boy exclaimed as he caught me in his arms.

What the hell even was that situation? I felt like I was in a shoujo manga. All that was missing was a rain of pink flower petals.

"Ah!" A female voice exclaimed as pink flower petals scattered around us.

And there it was. What took it so long?

He let go of me and went to the girl that tripped to help her up. Apparently, the flower petals were for her grandmother that was in this hospital too. We helped her gather the petals and saw her off.

"Well, that's done." I said as I let out a sigh of relief.

"You still need that drink?" He asked.

Honestly, after all this shoujo shit, I might really need it. "Sure." I replied. "Uh, I don't think I caught your name."

"Cyan. My name is Cyan. What about you?"

"My name's Black." I replied as I put my hand out for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Black." He replied as he returned it.


	13. Ep 13: Stay With Me

**White's POV**

"So... What were you gonna tell me?" I asked to hopefully get rid of the awkward silence.

It's been an hour since Black left us alone. Lilac just sat on the chair beside me and has been silent ever since.

A good minute passed, then she finally opened her mouth to talk. "Why'd you want me to go to your house?" She asked a bit aggressively. "Was it because you wanted me to see you like that?"

"What?! No! It's not like that!" I replied, panicking a bit.

"Then why?!" She snapped. "You have no idea how worried I was about you... You have no idea how much I cried because of you... When I saw you lying on the floor, I didn't know what to do. I'm glad I didn't go to your house alone. If I didn't invite Black to come with me, then I don't know what possibly could've happened to you." She began crying.

I held her hand. "I'm sorry. I never really intended for you both to see me like that. There's just been a lot of things on my mind. Until now actually, but I promise I'll be fine."

She pulled her hand away. "Then why didn't you call me? If you have any problems, you can always tell me."

"I... I just thought I could handle it on my own."

She wiped the tears from her face. "If you can't, then at least remember there are still some people you can lean on. So please, please, next time you're in trouble, let us know so we can help you."

It's nice to know that people are willing to help me, but I just don't know. I don't think I'm ready to talk about stuff like this, especially since I never had to in the first place.

"I'm not asking you to tell me now." She added. She must've noticed I was too quiet. "We can talk about it when you're ready. Take your time."

"Right. Thanks." I replied.

The room returned to being quiet and we both became awkward again.

"A-anyway I need to find Black. I forgot to give him the coffee I bought for him." She said as she stood up, but just as she was about to walk, I grabbed the sleeve of her jacket. She looked at me. "What is it?" She asked.

"Can you stay for a bit?" I asked. "I don't wanna be alone..."

She smiled and sat back down. "Of course. I'll just text Black and tell him that I still have his drink."

"How was your day at school?" I asked.

"I finally met Crimson." She replied. "He isn't really what I would expect from somebody that people call a delinquent. I wonder how that rumor even started? He looks like a sweet guy."

"Maybe something from his past? He might not have been like this back then."

"You think so?"

"I'm not sure, but maybe Black knows something."

"Speaking of Black, how did the two of them even meet?" She asked while tucking her phone back in her bag.

I tried to sit up a little. "I'm really curious about that too. I've never seen Black hang out with anybody other than me." I replied.

"How did the two of you meet then? Black doesn't look like the kind of person that would be social."

"Well." I chuckled. "I was actually the one that approached him first. On the first day, he was sketching by the window. He didn't notice the announcement that the teacher wasn't gonna show up, so I told him about it. At first he didn't wanna hang out with me, but he warmed up over time."

"That's so cute." She said, patting my head.

"Stop that!" I exclaimed.

"Don't move too much. You're still hurt." She chuckled a little.

"F-fine. A-anyway, how did you two meet?" I ask.

"If I remember correctly, it was during dismissal time and I stayed in the classroom to paint a little. I didn't wanna go home that day yet, so I was just looking for an excuse not to. It was about after you went home. He entered the classroom. At first, I thought he was looking for you so I told him you already went on ahead, but he said that he was just there to get his bag. He sat down for a bit to fix his stuff, but then for some reason, he decided to stay and sketch. We talked to each other during that time, and I also talked to him the following day." She explained.

"He introduced us to each other the day after too, remember?"

"Yeah." She laughed. "You were so stiff and awkward. We also went out that day, right? Didn't you ask Black to come with us?"

"I did, but he said he didn't wanna come."

Then it struck me. Was the reason that he didn't wanna come because he was meeting up with Crimson? It still doesn't add up though. If he was gonna meet up with him, then they would've already known each other by then.

"Hey..." Lilac said. "Do you think he met up with Crimson that day?" She asked. I guess I wasn't the only one that thought about that.

"That's what I was thinking too." I replied. "But it doesn't make sense. If he was gonna meet Crimson that day, then shouldn't they have already known each other?" I added.

"That does make sense... We should just ask him how they met when he gets back."

"Yeah, but it's been a while. Can you text him?" I asked.

"Sure." She replied.

I really do wonder. How did the two of those meet? The rumors didn't start until at least a few days after that day, so they must've met during that time. If they already met before that, then the rumors would've started sooner.

"White..." Lilac said. "He isn't replying. I've tried calling him either, but no one's answering." She stood up. "I'm gonna go look for him for a bit. Wait for me." She said as she ran out the door.

"Oh... Okay." I replied.

I guess it's just me again in this lonely hospital room... This sucks.


	14. Ep 14: New In Town

**Black's POV**

***clank***

I could hear the sound of a can from the vending machine falling. Cyan must've already bought the drinks. I don't even know why I agreed to come with this guy I just met.

"Hey, are you feeling better now?" He asked as he handed me the can of coffee.

I took it from his hand and he sat down beside me. "Yeah. Thanks." I replied.

"Do you feel comfortable talking about it? Or would you rather not? I'm cool with it either way."

"I guess I prefer not to. Thanks for the gesture though. I appreciate it."

We both sat in silence for a bit, but it was just too awkward. I had to say something. It would be rude not to since he offered to buy me a drink.

"So, uh, what are you doing in the hospital?" I asked.

He smiled. "I'm just visiting my grandma." He replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What happened to her?"

"She's been really sick. It's already been 3 years."

"3 years?? It must be hard taking care of her while studying."

"Oh, no. I just moved here today. My mom used to take care of her, but then she had a job offer abroad, so she asked me if I could move here. It isn't really an issue for me since I love my grandma. She even made me this scarf." He explained as he took out a long, light blue scarf from his bag.

"That's so cool. Can I touch it?" I asked.

"Weird question, but sure." He replied.

I put my hands on top of the scarf and felt the smooth, silky texture. "This feels so nice." I said.

"Right? My grandma used to be a tailor, so she's really skilled in making these kinds of stuff."

"It must be nice to have experienced that..."

I tilted my head down because of the embarrassment that I felt from saying such an awkward thing.

"Hey..." Cyan said, putting his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him, and he looked at me too, then smiled. "Want me to make you one?" He asked. "My grandma taught me how to make one before."

I smiled and removed his hand from my shoulder. "It's fine. I was just mumbling to myself." I replied.

"I'll still make one for you as a gift, and maybe as a bribe." He winked.

"A bribe?"

"Yeah, since I'm gonna ask you to show me around town next week."

"Woah. I don't even go out that much, so I don't know if I can be of much help."

"Don't worry about it. We can just explore together."

"Alright then. Just text me whenever."

"Well..." He took his phone out. "Can I have your number so I can text you then?" He asked, handing me his phone.

"Sure." I replied. "Let me just check it. I don't really memorize my number." I took my phone out of my pocket. I stared in shock as I saw that I had 9 missed calls and 41 unread messages from Lilac. "Shit."

"Why? Did something happen?" Cyan asked.

"My friend's looking for me. Sorry, I have to go now." I stood up. "Here's your phone." I said as I placed his phone in his hand. "I'll see you some other time. It was nice to meet you." I proceeded to run towards White's room.

A sudden tug on my hood stopped me from running. I turned around to see Lilac catching her breath.

"Didn't you hear me calling for you?" She asked, breathing heavily.

"Sorry, I didn't. I was just about to go back to White's room." I replied.

She let go of my hood. "You have no idea how long I've been looking for you. By the way, here." She said while handing me a can of coffee. "I forgot to give it to you earlier."

"Oh, thanks. I already drank one earlier though, but I guess I'll just save it for later."

We continued to walk. "Where were you?" Lilac asked.

"A guy saw me earlier and asked to buy me a drink." I replied.

"A guy? Was he hitting on you?"

"I don't think so?"

"Was he hot?"

"I guess you could say that. A-anyway." I panicked and tried to change the subject. "How was your talk with White?" I asked.

"It went great." She replied. "How about yours? Did you guys fix things now?"

"Yeah..."

"Um, hey... Can I ask you a question?" She asked, the atmosphere becoming a bit tense.

"Uh, sure? What is it?" I replied.

"How did you meet Crimson?"

Crimson? Why so suddenly? Did something happen?

"Remember the day I introduced you to White? When I went to the bathroom, he was there and talked to me."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"What about during dismissal time? I asked White to invite you to come with us to go out, but you said you didn't want to. Did you go to Crimson then?"

"Yeah. It was sudden though. I didn't really plan to meet him."

"So what made you go?"

Shit. I didn't know this was gonna be an intervention. What the hell do I even say in this situation? That I was sad and needed someone to talk to? Then she might ask why I didn't talk to White. I didn't think this conversation through.

"Black?" She asked, waving her hand in front of me. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." I replied.

"So what made you go then?"

"Um-" I looked up to conveniently see the room number that White was in. "Oh, look!" I exclaimed as I point at the room number. "We're here!" I proceeded to run towards it.

"H-hey! Wait!" I heard her exclaim, but I'd rather not answer that question anyway.

I opened the door to the room and White looked at me. "Oh, hey. Lilac's looking for you." He said.

"Yeah, I know. We already saw each other." I replied as I pointed outside.

"Black, you're such a jerk!" Lilac exclaimed, pushing me in the room.

I laughed a little. "I know. Anyway, when can you get out of here?" I asked White.

"The doctor said I can go to school on Monday. I just need to rest a lot now." He replied.

"That's a relief." Lilac said. "I'm gonna head to sleep now." She headed to the couch beside White's bed and lied down. "Good night, guys."

"Good night." White replied. "So where are you gonna sleep, Black?"

I looked around to find a spot and saw a chair at the corner of the room. "I'll probably just sleep there." I replied as I pointed at the chair. "I actually do feel sleepy now that I think about it. I'm gonna head to sleep too. Get some rest, White." I said as I headed towards the chair.

Lots of stuff happened today and I realize that I haven't gotten much rest because of it. I sat on the chair and closed my eyes. Because of how tired I felt, I didn't even notice that I fell asleep immediately.


	15. Ep 15: The New Transferees

**Black's POV**

The weekend passed and White was finally discharged from the hospital. It's Monday, and I wonder if he's okay enough to go to school. When we stayed with him at the hospital, he seemed well enough. He was smiling, laughing, and he looked like he was genuinely having fun. I already have his number so I could just text him to ask if he was coming to school, but I might be overstepping my boundaries. Speaking of numbers, that boy I met at the hospital, Cyan, was it? I never really gave him my number... I was actually waiting for that text from him. I've been ready to give him a tour, but I guess that won't be happening until there's another goddamn coincidence that'll make me meet him again.

"Aunt Autumn, I'm leaving!" I told my Aunt as I exited the door.

"Take care, honey." She replied.

The walk to school was honestly quite boring. It was just the same old stuff. Same old route, same old scenery, and same old grey figures. I honestly wish something interesting would happen.

A tap on my shoulder interrupted my inner monologue, and I looked back to see a familiar red shade. It was Crimson. He was wearing a black sweater with a flannel jacket tied to his waist, and dark ripped jeans. His guitar was strapped on his back, which honestly looked really heavy. His hair was all messed up, but it kinda fit him so it didn't really matter much. "Hey, Black." He said while smiling. "I didn't know we had the same route to school."

"Me either." I replied. We continued walking and finally arrived at the school gate. "Do you always carry your guitar with you?" I asked.

"Well, yeah. I'm in the music department, so it's a must for me." He replied.

"Why don't you just leave it here at school?"

His expression turned grim. "I'd rather not." He replied, with an obviously forced laugh. He stopped walking, but I continued. He suddenly tugged on my bag and pulled me back. "Hey, dude, we're already at your classroom." He said. I turned to see that we were actually at my classroom. I guess I must've missed it. "I'm gonna head up now. See you, Black." He said, waving his hand goodbye.

I waved back and entered the classroom. I looked around, but White and Lilac still aren't here. I went to my seat and took my sketchbook out. There isn't really much to do here without them, so I guess I'll just sketch until they arrive.

"New transferees?" I could hear the people in our classroom talk.

"Yeah. Apparently there's gonna be one in the photography department and one in the music department."

Music department? That's the department Crimson's in. I hope this new student will actually approach him and try to be his friend. I feel bad for him always being alone and surrounded by all these nasty rumors. Speaking of rumors, I haven't been hearing anything about me hanging out with Crimson. I guess the issue must've subsided because of the new transferees. I wonder what they're like since people were making such a fuss over them.

"Black!" A loud voice exclaimed. I turned to see White running towards me with his arms open for a hug.

I stood up and put my arm out to stop him from coming any closer to me. "Don't even try." I said, my hand pushing his chest.

"Oh, come on." He said, struggling to still give me a hug, but eventually gave up. "You're a real asshole, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know." I replied, patting his hand and giving him a smile.

"You guys are so active early in the morning." A female voice said. We saw Lilac by the door walking towards us. "How are you, White?" She asked.

"I'm feeling a lot better now." White replied.

"Hey, Lilac!" A female voice called her. It was one of Lilac's grey friends. I'm sure it was one of them since I remember seeing this girl on the first day in the cafeteria. She was the only one of them in their group that wasn't in the arts department. "Let's eat something." She said.

"Oh, sure!" Lilac replied. "Do you guys wanna come with us?" She asked. "I can introduce you guys to my friend over there."

"No thanks." I replied. "I'd rather be on my comfortable chair, probably sleeping."

"Oh, alright." She turned to White. "What about you?"

White turned a bit red. "Uh... Um..." He stuttered.

"Yeah, he wants to come with you guys." I interrupted. "Now, go on. Don't keep them waiting, White." I said, pushing him towards Lilac.

Lilac pulled on his arm and they headed outside the classroom. White's face when exiting the room was priceless. He looked so embarrassed and awkward. I guess moving on won't be so hard after all. It didn't hurt as much as it did before. It still hurts, but I could manage.

The day went on as normal and lunch time came just like that. A slam on my desk startled me. It was Lilac. "Let's go to the cafeteria, Black. Join me, White, and Chartreuse." She said.

"Chartreuse?" I asked.

"She's my friend that you saw earlier. I wanna introduce you to her. White's already met her, so it's your turn." She said as she pointed at the door towards White and Chartreuse, but what's strange is that Chartreuse wasn't grey anymore. She had a bright neon green color. She had long blonde curly hair styled into kinda like the stars you can see on tv during the red carpet. She was wearing a yellow and white bomber jacket with the school pin on the right side of it, and a white shirt on the inside. Her hands were tucked in the pockets of her jacket so it made her look a bit boyish. She had a very intimidating look, kinda like an eagle looking for its next prey. "So, are you coming with us?" Lilac asked.

"Uh, sure." I replied.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door. "Let's go get Crimson too." She said.

"He's in the music department though." I explained to her.

"I know. Let's go up and get him." We got to the door. "Hey, Chartreuse." Lilac called her friend. "This is another one of my friends and White's best friend, Black." She introduced me. "And Black, this is Chartreuse."

"Nice to meet you, Chartreuse." I said as I put my hand out for a handshake.

She stared at it for a few seconds. "Yeah, whatever. I don't do handshakes. Especially with people like you." She replied.

What? People like me? Did I do something?

"Sorry, Black. She isn't the biggest fan of boys." Lilac explained. "I just wanna help her make other friends besides girls. It might help her get over her fear."

"It's a fear of hers... I understand" I replied. "Anyway, aren't we getting Crimson too?" I asked.

"What?!" Chartreuse exclaimed. "There's still one more?! God, why don't you just kill me now?"

"Stop being so dramatic." Lilac said. "Now, come on. Let's go to the music department."

We proceeded to walk and I noticed White being a bit quiet. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked, putting my hand on his shoulder.

He flinched. "Y-yeah. I'm fine. Just a bit terrified." He replied.

"Terrified? Of what?"

He pointed to Chartreuse talking with Lilac. "Her." He said.

"She is a bit scary. Didn't you eat with them earlier?"

"Yeah. It was honestly a nightmare. She threatened me that if I ever wanna go out with Lilac, I should be prepared to deal with her every single living day of my life."

"Well, shit. What did you do to her?"

"Nothing! We didn't even talk while we ate. I don't even know how she knew I liked Lilac."

Well, it's kinda obvious that you like her. "I guess pay no mind to it. It might just be her personality."

We got close to the music department, but then we get caught up in a crowd of people blocking the way.

"Um, excuse me." Lilac said, talking to a student in front of her. "What's happening?" She asked.

"There's a fight happening inside one of the classrooms, and we were told to get out if we don't wanna be caught in the middle. Somebody already called a teacher so this should be over any minute." The student replied.

"What? Who's fighting?"

"The new student and the delinquent."

"Crimson?!" She exclaimed as she grabbed my arm and pulled me pass the crowd.

Crimson was fighting with the new student? Why? There must be a reason, right?

We got to the front of the crowd and saw Crimson and the new student giving each other powerful blows. Both of their faces were stained with blood, but they still weren't stopping.

Lilac let go of my arm and headed to the middle to block Crimson. I followed her and held the new student back.

"Let go of me." The student said. His grey colors were becoming a very light brown color. I couldn't look at his face properly because of what was happening though.

"Yeah. Let go of him, Black. This is a fight between me and him." Crimson added, wiping the blood from his face.

"Crimson, stop it!" Lilac exclaimed.

"There they are!" A female voice exclaimed. I turned to see a grey student with a teacher next to her.

"Crimson?! You're fighting again?!" The teacher asked. "And you! Aren't you the transferee?! Both of you, to the principal's office! Now!"

The new student pulled on his arm, which made me let go, and picked up his bag to follow the teacher. I saw Lilac wiping the blood off of Crimson's face using a handkerchief. I approached them.

"I'm fine. You can stop it now." Crimson said.

"No, it's not fine. You're full of bruises." Lilac replied.

"Well, thanks for the help, but I have to go to the principal's office." He said, grabbing his bag.

"We're coming with you." I interrupted. "Who knows what'll happen when you get out of the office."

"Yeah. He's right. Come on." Lilac said, helping Crimson stand up, then they both walked towards the teacher.

"Black!" A voice called me from behind. A hand grabbed me by the shoulder, so I turned around and saw White and Chartreuse. "Where are you going?!" White asked.

"We're going to the principal's office with Crimson. You guys can go eat first. We'll just catch up later." I explained.

"No." Chartreuse interrupted. "I'm not gonna leave Lilac with two boys. We're coming with you." She said, pushing me to the side and walking towards Lilac.

"Yeah, what she said. We're just gonna come with you." White agreed.

I sighed. "Well, come on then."


	16. Ep 16: About Their Relationship

**Black's POV**

"A warning?" I asked.

"Yeath. Thankfully he let me off with just a warning." Crimson replied.

"What happened anyway?" Lilac asked.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Crimson stood up, but stumbled a bit.

I caught him. "Woah, be careful. Come on, I'll take you to the nurse's office." I offered.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me and go to your classes. You might be late."

"It's fine. I don't mind being late." I looked at Lilac. "Lilac, you can go on ahead. Take White and Chartreuse with you when they get back." I said.

"What?! No! I wanna come with you guys..." She replied.

"Hey, Black, move me closer to her." Crimson said. We moved closer to Lilac, and just as we were close enough, Crimson put his index finger on her forehead. "Just go, little miss. You can come see me later during dismissal. I'll be at the music room as usual."

Woah. When did these two get so close?

"Okay then... See you..." Lilac replied.

Me and Crimson proceeded to walk towards the nurse's office. I felt really bad for him. He was full of scratches and bruises, but what could I do?

"Pitiful, aren't I?" He suddenly said.

"What? I wasn't-"

"It's fine." He interrupted me. "I'd probably feel sorry for me too. You know, I never thought that there'd be a person in this school willing to hang out with someone like me, but here I am, with exactly that person, carrying me to the nurse's office. I'm glad."

He became quiet for a bit. I don't know what to say to something like that. Should I say "thank you" or something? Shit, now it's been too long to reply. Might as well just change the topic.

"Hey, Crimson... How did these rumors start?" I askes, but he continued to be silent. I could tell he was uncomfortable with the question. "Then at least answer me this... When did you and Lilac get so close?"

He smiled a little. "It was during the weekend. I shopped a bit at the market and saw her coincidentally walking on the way home. I approached her first to say hello. Honestly, she looked really scared of me at first, but she eventually warmed up. I walked her home since it was getting dark then, and we were walking in the same direction anyway. We exchanged contact numbers before splitting up, and we talked during the night too."

"You talked during the night??"

"Yeah. She called me and we talked."

I have a bad feeling about this...

We arrived at the nurse's office and I set Crimson down on the bed. "Rest here for a bit. I'm gonna head to class now. See you later." I said as I waved my hand. He waved back and I immediately headed to the classroom.

A few hours passed and classes were over just like that. I stood up and fixed my stuff to head to the music room.

"Hey, Black." White's voice said behind me. "Do you wanna go out today? I found a new cafe near here and I wanna try it out."

"Sorry, I can't." I replied. "I'm gonna head to the music room to visit Crimson. Maybe invite Lilac?" I suggested.

"I was gonna, but I can't find her anywhere."

"She must've went home already. Try texting her and see if she'll respond. Why don't you come with me for a bit? I'll introduce you to Crimson."

He took his phone out and started texting. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna come with you. I'll stay there for probably a few minutes."

"That's great! You'll finally see he's a great person." I said as I proceeded to walk.

White followed after and we both headed to the music department. Just as we got closer to the music room, we could already hear the strumming of a guitar followed by a male voice singing, probably Crimson's.

"That sounds beautiful." White said.

"I know. It's one of the reasons why I love coming here." I replied.

We arrived at the music room, and just as I was about to open the door, I heard a faint familiar female voice.

"Woah, you have muscles." The voice sounding like Lilac said.

"Stop touching my arm, little miss. My body still hurts like hell." A voice sounding like Crimson's replied. Little miss? Shit... I think it really is Lilac.

A touch on my shoulder startled me. I turned around and see White looking a bit concerned. "Hey, what's wrong? Why aren't you opening the door?" He asked.

Shit. I never thought Lilac would be here. Wait, what am I doing? They're just friends, aren't they? They said so themselves. There's nothing to worry about.

"Black?" White asked again.

"Oh, right. Sorry." I replied as I pushed the door open. There was nothing to worry about... "Hey, Crimson." I said. "I brought White with me if it's alright with you."

He turned to me and smiled. "Of course, but why does it feel like you guys are making this place a hangout now." He joked. "It only used to be you, but now little miss wants to come here more often too." He said, pointing at Lilac, sitting on a chair too close beside him.

"Hey, Black!" She greeted me. "Sorry for coming here already. I was just worried about Crimson."

"Oh, it's fine." I replied. "I was coming here anyway. I also brought White with me. He wanted to ask you something." I moves a bit and signaled for White to come in.

"H-hey, Lilac." White said nervously.

Lilac stood up and walked towards White. "Yeah?" She asked.

Look at him turning all red. I'd be surprised if Lilac didn't know that he liked her. Anybody could read him like a book.

"Do you maybe wanna come with me to a cafe?" White asked.

Lilac smiled and grabbed her bag from her seat. "Let's go. You're walking me home after this." She said, walking past him, but then stopped. "And Crimson, take care of yourself, okay? Bye, Black!" The two of them then proceeded to walk out the door.

"So, is that them?" Crimson asked.

"What?" I replied.

He strummed his guitar. "I haven't forgotten our first conversation, Ice Prince. I don't blame you though. I can see how you fell for the girl."

Shit... I completely forgot about that. I forgot that I told him about every- Wait...

"You could see how I fell for her?" I asked.

"Well, yeah. I won't lie that she looks absolutely stunning, but she's really nice and caring too. Too bad those two are dating."

"Those two? Do you mean White?"

"Yeah."

"They aren-" Wait. Should I say they aren't dating? Why am I even concerned about this? It isn't my problem. They aren't even dating. If Crimson likes her, than I should just let him... But then White... I want him to be happy... "To be honest you guys look closer than you should be." I said, changing the topic.

"Oh, we do?" Crimson asked.

"And by the way, what the hell was happening here earlier? I heard you guys from outside the classroom. Why was Lilac touching your arm?"

"Oh, that? I was strumming my guitar and then she suddenly entered the room. She grabbed a seat and told me to just continue playing. We talked for a bit and she asked how my injuries were. She didn't believe me when I told her I was fine and wanted to check it for herself, so she squished my arm because I told her that there was one spot with an injury."

"Oh, that was it?"

"Yeah. Did you think we were doing something else? You have quite the imagination, Ice Prince." He chuckled.

"H-hey! I do admit I was thinking of something else..."

The mood suddenly became serious. "You know, at first I was reluctant to approach you at that bathroom..." He said as he stopped strumming and just looked out the window.

I took a seat beside him. "So why did you?" I asked.

He looked at me and smiled a little. "I guess I still have that habit of helping strangers."

At first I didn't understand what he meant. He never mentioned this habit of his. I thought it was normal to help people in need, so why did he have that expression on his face? Why did his smile look so full of regret? Why did his smile look so... Lonely...


	17. Ep 17: Hatred

**White's POV**

"What about you?" Lilac asked, turning towards me.

"Uh... Um..." I stuttered. Oh my God. Stop it, heart! Calm down!

"Yeah, he wants to come with you guys." Black interrupted. "Now, go on. Don't keep them waiting White." He said, pushing me towards Lilac.

"Great! Let's go, White!" Lilac said, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards her friend. "Hey, Chartreuse, this is my friend, White." She said, pointing at me. "And White, this is my best friend, Chartreuse."

"N-nice to meet you." I said, putting my hand out for a handshake. She didn't answer and started walking. "Um, did I do something wrong?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it. She's just like that to boys." Lilac answered.

"Oh... Okay then..."

We arrived at the cafeteria and found a seat by the corner. "You two stay here." Lilac said. "I'll buy us some food. What do you guys want?"

"Maybe just coffee?" I replied.

"Strawberry milk." Chartreuse added.

"Alrighty then. Get to know each other while I'm gone, okay?" Lilac said before walking away.

I could feel the awkwardness in the atmosphere. I could tell that Chartreuse didn't want me here. I glanced at her direction every now and then. I didn't notice it at first, but she looks really pretty. Her long blonde curly hair looked really silky. It was almost tempting me to touch it. Almost. I still wanna live. Her style looked a bit boyish. I wonder what department she's in.

"Hey..." I said.

She looked at me with a very intimidating gaze. "What do you want?" She asked.

"I just wanna get to know you. You know, since we're both friends with Lilac, we ought to be friends too."

"Look, whatever your name is, I could give two shits about you. You're just here because Lilac invited you. If it were up to me, I'd never have let you come."

Well, her mouth totally didn't match her face.

"You could try to be a bit nice." I said.

She slammed the table and reached for the collar of my shirt. She grabbed it and pulled me closer. I could feel all the people staring at us. It was a really uncomfortable situation. "I don't care who the fuck you think you are, but nobody has the right to tell me to be nice. Especially if it's coming from someone like you." She said, letting go of my shirt and sitting back down.

"At least tell me what department you're from so I know something about you. I don't want Lilac to see that we didn't make any progress." I said as I fixed my shirt.

"You're persistent, aren't you? I'm from the dance department. Now, shut up, okay?"

"Okay, jeez. I don't get why you're so mad at me."

"One reason is that you're a guy. That should be enough reason for me to hate you, but I know that you like Lilac, and that just makes me hate you more because she likes you too. The thing is, I don't give a flying fuck if she likes you. If you ever start dating, you will have to deal with me every single living day of your life, and I will make sure it'll be hell for you. And if you ever do anything to hurt her, I swear I will be the last thing you see before I strangle you to death. Got it?"

"Hey, guys!" Lilac said, heading towards us. "Sorry I took a bit long. The line was hell."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Chartreuse replied, smiling and gesturing her to sit down. This girl might actually be bipolar.

"So, have you guys gotten to know each other?" Lilac asked while taking a seat next to Chartreuse.

"Yeah." Chartreuse replied, smirking a bit menacingly. "I'm sure he's gotten to know me now."

"That's so great! I'm glad to see you making friends with a boy. I can also introduce you to one of my other friends later. I asked him to come with us earlier too, but he said he wasn't hungry."

They just continued talking as I drank my coffee. They looked like they were great friends. Almost as if they've known each other for a long time. Must be nice having a childhood friend.

The bell rang and the three of us headed to our classrooms. Chartreuse went to a different hallway since she was in another department.

"Hey, Lilac, what floor is the dance department?" I asked as we walked.

"The dance department? If I'm not mistaken, it's on the 5th floor. Same as the music department." Lilac replied. "Oh and White..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about Chartreuse."

"What? Nooo. We had a nice talk."

"No, you didn't. Don't worry, I can tell. I know her personality. She isn't the type of person to be nice to boys."

"Then why invite me?"

"I was just thinking if she'd meet some boys that I'm friends with, her view of you guys might change. She might see that not all boys are bad."

"If it isn't much of an issue, can I ask what happened to her?"

She smiled a little. Her smile was enough for me to survive the whole day. I wonder how I'm allowed to be with such an angel. "Sorry, White, but it's not my story to tell."

"Oh, don't worry. I understand." I replied. I guess it makes sense, but I don't think I'm gonna get anything from Chartreuse anytime soon.

The day went on and lunch time arrived just like that. I rested my head down on my desk to hopefully sleep for a bit, but I could smell a familiar lavender scent getting closer towards me.

"Hey, White." A voice said as I felt a hand being placed on the back of my head. I looked up and saw Lilac, but she moved backwards as soon as I looked at her. "Let's go have some lunch. Chartreuse is waiting for us outside the classroom." She said, pointing by the door. I looked over and saw Chartreuse with her arms crossed, and a pissed expression on her face. That's kinda what she looked like earlier this morning too, but this time she seemed more pissed.

"Uh, can I really? Won't she mind?" I asked quite nervously. I'm honestly terrified her. She might murder me at any time.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure since she already met you earlier this morning, she won't be as hostile as before."

"Ugh, fine." I stood up and walked towards Chartreuse. "Hey." I greet her.

She looked at me, her expression turning into disgust. "Gross. What the hell do you want?" She asked with a hostile tone in her voice.

"I'm just greeting you. Is that so bad?"

"Yeah. It is. It's bad coming from you, so just shut up. Lilac said she's gonna introduce me to another boy, so I'm mentally preparing myself."

Mentally preparing? Is that really necessary.

Black and Lilac finally joined us and he gor introduced to Chartreuse. Black gor ignored, same as me, and the four of us walked towards the music department because Lilac said she wanted to fetch Crimson too.

We proceeded to walk, then Black placed his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. Just a bit terrified." I replied with an obviously nervous voice.

"Terrified? Of what?"

"Her." I replied, pointing at Chartreuse. Who wouldn't be scared of her?

"She is a bit scary. Didn't you eat with them earlier?"

"Yeah. It was honestly nightmare. She threatened me that if I ever wanna go out with Lilac, I should be prepared to deal with her every single living day of my life."

"Well, shit. What did you do to her?"

"Nothing! We didn't even talk while we ate. I don't even know how she knew I liked Lilac."

"I guess pay no mind to it. It might just be her personality."

"I guess..."

We arrived close to the music department, where a sudden crowd of people were blocking our way. Lilac spoke with one of the students and there was immediate panic in her eyes. She grabbed Black and stormed through the crowd.

"H-hey! Lilac!" Chartreuse called to her. "Where the hell is that girl going?!" She looked at me. "You!"

"Y-yes?!" I asked.

"Clear a way so we can pass through. We have to get Lilac!"

"What? Why me?"

"Because you're a guy. Now, hurry up. It's the only thing you're useful for right now."

"R-right..." I replied walking towards the crowd.

I talked to one student at a time to ask them if they could hopefully get out of the way. I succeeded with every single one of them and I finally opened a path for the both of us. Chartreuse came rushing in and immediately headed to the front of the crowd. I followed her and saw Black about to walk away.

"Black!" I exclaimed as I grabbed his shoulder. He turned around. "Where are you going?!" I asked.

"We're going to the principal's office with Crimson. You guys can go eat first. We'll just catch up later." He explained.

"No." Chartreuse interrupted. "I'm not gonna leave Lilac with two boys. We're coming with you." She said, pushing Black to the side.

"Yeah, what she said. We're just gonna come with you." I added.

He sighed. "Well, come on then." He said, gesturing me to follow him.


	18. Ep 18: The Boy With Those Eyes

**White's POV**

"Remind me again why I'm stuck with you?" Chartreuse asked as we were both walking towards the vending machine.

"I don't wanna be in this situation as much as you do, but Black told me to buy drinks for all of us, and Lilac told you to come with me." I replied.

"I wonder why Lilac cares so much about that delinquent. I've never even heard of her talking about him."

"Never?" I asked as I stopped in front of the vending machine and put money inside.

***clank***

"Oh, are you jealous?" She asked.

"W-what?? Me? Jealous? No way!" I replied, handing her a drink.

She smirked. "I really do wonder what's up with them. Maybe we should hurry up and go back?" She laughed a little.

Shit. What if there really is something up with them?

"Yeah, we should head back now." I said, grabbing the drinks and running off.

"Excuse me!" A voice called behind me. I turned and saw an unusually good looking boy. He had chestnut-brown hair with white highlights styled into the same hairstyle korean idols have. He was way taller than me, and was wearing a plain, sky blue sweater with his school pin on the right side of it. "You forgot this." He said, handing me a drink. "It was left inside the vending machine."

I walked towards him and took the drink from his hand. "Thanks." I said. I didn't notice at first, but his eyes were so beautiful. One of them was light blue, and the other one was purple.

"Is there something on my face?" He asked with a confused look on his face. I must've been staring at him for way too long.

"N-no. Sorry. It's just, your eyes are so beautiful." I replied.

"My eyes?" He asked, taking out his phone and using it as a mirror. "Oh crap! I forgot to put my contacts back on!" He exclaimed, putting his hands in his pockets and taking out a pair of contact lenses. "Hey... Can you not tell anyone what you saw?" He asked with a very nervous look on his face.

"Oh. It's fine uh..."

"Cyan. My name is Cyan. Nice to meet you." He introduced himself, putting his hand out for a handshake.

I returned it. "I'm White. It's a pleasure."

"You asshole!" A distant female voice exclaimed. I looked behind Cyan and saw Chartreuse running towards us. "You're dead meat if I catch you!"

Shit...

"Sorry, Cyan, but I've gotta go." I said as I continued running.

"See ya." He replied while waving goodbye.

We arrived at the office and saw Lilac sitting on the bench at the side of the door.

"Hey, Lilac. Where's Black?" I asked, trying to catch my breath.

She stood up and took a drink from my hand. "He took Crimson to the nurse's office. He told us to go ahead and not to wait up." She replied. "What happened to you both? Why do you look so out of breath?"

"This asshole decided to leave me." Chartreuse replied while pointing at me and catching her breath.

"Well, sorry, but you were gonna murder me if I didn't run." I said.

"Alright, guys. That's enough." Lilac said. "Chartreuse, we're gonna be heading here. Are you gonna go the other direction or are you gonna walk with us?"

"I'd rather go in the other direction. See you, Lilac." Chartreuse replied, sprinting away.

Lilac and I headed to the classroom just before class started. Black still wasn't anywhere to be seen here, so he must've still been in the nurse's office.

I still wonder what Lilac and Crimson's relationship is. I've never heard about him from Lilac until today even though we were together the whole weekend. Did they already know each other from before? Wait, no, I remember we talked in the hospital too. Lilac didn't seem to know anything about him... So why do I feel like this? Am I actually feeling jealous? Maybe I should take her out for some food. It might relieve me of this feeling.

I took my phone out and started searching for newly opened places to eat around the area. There was a lot, but I'd rather go to the closest one.

"Okay, class." The teacher in front said, prompting the start of class. I looked over to Black's desk, but he still wasn't there.

The class started, and Black arrived a few minutes later. He had this look of worry in his eyes. I guess something must've happened between him and Crimson.

The moment the class ended, I stood up and looked for Lilac to invite her. I looked around the classroom, but she wasn't here. I asked around, but no one seemed to know where she was. Maybe I should approach Black?

"Hey, Black." I called him. "Do you wanna go out today? I found a new cafe near here and I wanna try it out."

"Sorry. I can't." He replied. "I'm gonna head to the music room to visit Crimson. Maybe invite Lilac?"

"I was gonna, but I can't find her anywhere."

"She must've went home already. Try texting her and see if she'll respond. Why don't you come with me for a bit? I'll introduce you to Crimson."

I took my phone out and sent her a message. I didn't really have anything better to do while waiting for her reply. Maybe I should go with Black? "Yeah, I think I'm gonna come with you. I'll stay there for probably a few minutes." I said.

"That's great! You'll finally see he's a great person." He replied as he walked out the classroom.

I followed him to the music room, and as we drew closer, I could hear a beautiful sound of a guitar with somebody singing.

"That sounds beautiful." I said. It really was beautiful.

"I know. It's one of the reasons why I love coming here." Black replied.

We arrived at the music room. Black grabbed the doorknob and turned it slightly, but he didn't open it. At first I thought he just couldn't open it, but he looked troubled for some reason.

I placed my hand on his shoulder and he flinched a little. "Hey, what's wrong? Why aren't you opening the door?" I asked.

He didn't utter a word, but instead just stared at me.

"Black?" I asked again.

"Oh, right. Sorry." He finally replied and opened the door. "Hey, Crimson." He called to him.

I stayed outside of the room because Crimson and I weren't really close. I don't think I'd be comfortable if I were to go inside.

"I also brought White with me. He wanted to ask you something." Black said, gesturing me to come in. I entered and saw Lilac, still as beautiful as ever, but why was she here? I thought she already went home?

"H-hey, Lilac." I said with my hands shaking. Asking her to do anything never gets any easier.

She stood up and walked towards me. She stopped at a very uncomfortable distance from my face. "Yeah?" She asked.

"Do you, maybe, wanna come with me to a cafe?"

She smiled and grabbed her bag from a chair. "Let's go. You're walking me home after this." She sayid, walking past me, but then stopped. "And Crimson, take care of yourself, okay? Bye Black!"

I followed her outside and walked beside her.

"So, where are you taking me?" She asked.

"Oh... I found this new cafe just near here and I wanted to try it out with you." I replied.

She grabbed my cheeks and started squishing them. "You're so cute! Thanks a lot for inviting me."

"No problem... Uh, hey..."

"Yeah?"

"What were you doing in there?"

"There? You mean in the music room?"

"Yeah. I was looking for you during dismissal and didn't see you anywhere."

"Oh, sorry. I was just really worried about Crimson, so when the bell rang, I decided to head there immediately."

"Were you not worried at all?"

"Why should I be worried?"

"You were alone with a guy!" I exclaimed, my voice getting a bit louder.

"But I'm alone with you too right now, and you're a guy." She replied, looking confused.

"But Crimson is different beca-" She cut me off.

"Because he's a delinquent? Is that it? White, I thought you stopped being so bias with him. It's not his fault that the rumours are saying awful things about him." She snapped and avoided eye contact with me. "I don't think I'm hungry anymore. I'm gonna go straight home." She said, walking a bit faster, but stopped. "And just so you know, he isn't what everyone says he is." She said before running away.

"Lilac, wait!" I exclaimed, trying to catch up to her, but eventually lost her.

I stopped in the middle of the corridor in front of a classroom to catch my breath. It wasn't like I could have even caught up with her, so I just went towards the window and stared outside.

Shit, I messed up. I should've just kept my mouth shut... Argh! Why am I like this?! Why am I so worried about him?! It's not like I'm going out with Lilac anyway...

"That's something you don't see everyday." A voice behind me said. I turned around and saw a boy by the door of the classroom with medium length, messy, blonde hair, with some of his bangs covering his eyes. He had a black piercing on his right ear, and had these beautiful dark yellow eyes. He was wearing a galaxy sweater with what looks like a white polo shirt inside, and ripped blue jeans. He had wounds and bruises all over his face, almost like he had just gotten into a fight.

"What do you want?" I asked a bit aggressively.

"Nothing, nothing. I just saw something interesting and wanted to make a comment on it. Anyway, can you move out of the way? I have to clean these erasers." He said, showing me the two erasers on his hands.

"Right, sorry." I apologized as I moved out of the way.

"Thanks!" He replied and smiled. His smile looked totally weird because he had two sharp teeth, almost like fangs, on the sides of his mouth. He looked kinda like a vampire to be honest.

He walked towards the window and slammed the erasers on each other multiple times to remove the chalk dust.

"So, what's your name, man?" The boy asked.

"O-oh. My name is White. I'm from the arts department." I replied.

"Oh, cool. I'm Ivory from the music department. I just transferred here so I don't really know anyone yet. I'm struggling to make friends, especially because of the incident earlier today."

"Incident? What incident?"

"Do you know the fight that happened earlier during lunch time?"

"Yeah. The one guy there was my friend's friend, so they were so worried about him. I don't know about the other guy though. People said that it was a new student."

"Yeah..." He smiled. "That new student was me."

... What?!


	19. Ep 19: The Sorrow In His Smile

**Black's POV**

"Hey, do you wanna walk home together?" Crimson asked as he put his guitar in its case.

"Sure. I've finished sketching anyway." I replied.

He grabbed his stuff and headed towards the door. I grabbed mine and caught up to him, and we continued walking until we got outside of the school. "Why did you choose the arts department?" He asked.

"My dad used to be a painter, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps." I answered. "What about you? Why'd you choose the music department?"

"I've loved music ever since I was really young." He answered. "Since then, it was something I knew I wanna pursue when I got older, but it isn't working out too much..."

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked. "You look like you're really enjoying what you're doing."

He stopped walking and faced me. "Do you wanna stop by somewhere first?" He asked, pointing at a park near us.

"Sure." I replied as we both sat down on a bench.

He went to the vending machine nearby and bought two drinks. "Catch!" He said, throwing a drink in my direction.

I caught it. "Dude, don't do that. I feel like my heart is gonna burst out any minute." I replied. My heart was still beating fast from the pressure. I opened the drink and took a sip. It was just cola, but it tasted so good. Cold drinks feel the best when it's hot outside.

"Do you remember the first time you went to the music room?" He asked as he took a seat.

"Yeah. Kinda. It was when I told you about my problem, right?"

"Is that all you remember?"

What? Was there something else then... Think Black... What could it be? What happened during that day... Oh!

"You were crying when I entered the room, right?" I asked.

He smiled and then stared into space. "That day was hard for me, but it got better when I met you." He tilted his head down, towards the drink in his hand. I could see he was holding onto it tight. "We met at the bathroom remember?"

"Yeah. What of it?" I asked.

"This is a bit embarrassing to say, but I was actually crying then." He said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Crying? Why?"

"Well, the first month of school went by and I was still a loner. Nobody wanted to approach me because of the rumours, and when I saw you in the bathroom, I thought that you'd be just like the others, but the thing is, you weren't scared. You were confused, naive, you didn't know me... Which made me happy, because I thought that finally, somebody would be willing to talk to me..."

"But that still doesn't explain why you were crying in the music room that day."

"Sometimes music is the musician's way of conveying their feelings, and it just so happens that the bottle of my feelings broke because of the music. I hate sad songs with all of my heart, but sometimes it's the only thing that can keep me happy in my darkest times..."

"Crimson, can you sing something for me?" I asked.

He looked at me confused, but then smiled a little. "Do you want me to play the guitar?" He asked.

"No need."

He smiles and started singing, and it was like emotions were scattering in the wind. His voice sounded softer than usual. It wasn't the voice I used to hear every single day. It was like a whole other person was singing. I could feel the loneliness in his voice, and it was affecting me more than it should.

"Woah, Black, are you okay??" Crimson asked, sounding very concerned.

"W-what?" I replied.

"You're crying."

"I am?" I asked as I touched my face, and he was right. I could feel the tears on my fingers.

"Dude, are you okay?" He asked again.

"Sorry, sorry." I replied as I wiped the tears off my face. "I guess your voice just really got to me."

"My voice?" He chuckled a little. "You were the one who told me to sing. Can I ask why you asked me to sing though?"

"Well... Earlier you said that music is the musician's way to convey their feelings. I just thought that since you aren't comfortable with telling me what's wrong directly, then maybe you can say it through singing. I also thought that it might help you feel better... I'm sorry if it made you feel worse..."

He patted me on the back. "Stop worrying about it." He looked at me and did his dorky smile. "I feel a lot better now. Thank you, Black."

"Crimson, I know you might find it hard, but please know that you can always depend on me. I have no idea what happened to you in the past, but I can assure you that I've been genuine about hanging out with you."

"I know, and I'm really thankful to you. You're my first and only friend in this school, and I'm glad that I can depend on you, but I can't tell you... Because once I do, you'll leave me just like the others..."

I stood up and finished my drink. "Take your time. I'm not pressuring you to tell me anything. I can wait until you're ready. No matter how long it takes." I replied. "And just so you know, I'm not the type of person to leave my friends behind."

He stared at me, but then smirked. "Thanks, Black." He said as he stood up and finished his drink too. "Shall we go home?" He asked.

"Yeah, let's go." I replied.

I wasn't sure if what I saw was real, but I think I saw Crimson smile from the corner of my eye. His once sorrowful smile that I saw earlier today turned into a smile of genuine happiness, and I'm glad that I might be the reason that his smile turned into something so heartwarming.


	20. Ep 20: Her Feelings

**White's POV**

"Hey, Chartreuse." I called to her as I sat on a chair and swung my feet back and forth. "What should I do to make a girl like me?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" She replied with a bit of anger in her voice.

"I just wanted to ask some advice from a girl."

"Why don't you ask other people? Can't you see I'm practicing my routine here?"

I sat properly and rested my head on the chair's support. "But you're the only other girl I know besides Lilac. Pleaseeeeeee."

"Would you get the fuck outta here?! You're attracting too much attention!" She exclaimed, showing me the other girls in the dance department looking at me.

"Oh... They're looking at me?" I asked confusingly. I'm not really used to the attention the girls in this school give me. I'm not even handsome or cool or anything like that.

"On the other hand..." Chartreuse said. "I'll answer any of your questions if you can keep those girls company while I practice."

"W-what?? But I can't... I'm not used to-" She interrupted me.

"I know. It's why I'm doing this. Good luck, White." She slapped my back. "Hey, girls! If any of y'all wanna talk to Prince Charming, now's your chance!" She exclaimed.

"H-hey! Wait!"

"Good luck." She smiled and winked as a crowd of girls came rushing at me.

I've never been used to the attention I've received in this school. It'a a nice change of pace from what I've experienced before, but... I don't why. I just feel uncomfortable when I feel these people staring at me... Talking about me... It's kind of suffocating... It's like I can't breathe knowing that people are watching my every move. I feel like I'm holding my breath underwater for the longest time...

A sudden grab on my arm made me snap back to reality. I looked to see Chartreuse. "Hey, come with me to buy a drink. I'm thirsty." She said. "Sorry, girls, but I'm taking him with me for a bit."

"What? But I th-" She interrupted me.

"Just come on!" She exclaimed, pulling me away from the crowd.

We got to the vending machine and I sat down by the bench beside it. She sat down beside me and handed me a drink.

"Thanks." I said.

"I'm sorry..." She apologized.

What?? Why was she apologizing?

"For what?" I asked.

She looked at me with a look of sadness on her face. "I'm sorry that I went too far with that joke... You looked really uncomfortable there, and it's my fault that it happened..."

"But you hate me, right?"

"As much as I do, I'm not the type to make other people suffer..."

The school suddenly became quiet. There were no sounds. It was like everything was empty.

"I'm gonna keep my side of the promise now. You said you wanted advice, right?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah." I replied. "But... I guess I don't need it right now. I can just come back and visit you again."

She pushed me and looked away. "Piss off! I don't want you visiting me here again! You were distracting me!" She exclaimed. "Talk to Lilac. I'm rooting for you more than Crimson."

"Chartreuse? White?" A voice behind us asked.

We looked behind us and saw Lilac carrying a covered canvas. She must've just finished her activities in the arts club.

"Hey, Lilac." I greeted her very awkwardly. She looked at me and smiled. We haven't talked ever since that incident before.

"Thank God you're here. I forgot to tell you that I have to take a raincheck on our trip to the cafe. I still have dance practice." Chartreuse said.

"Oh... That's too bad... Guess I'll just go home today then." Lilac replied.

"You don't have to though. Why not go with White? He can take my place for now. Anyway, I really have to get going. See you tomorrow!" Chartreuse said as she ran and waved her hand at us.

Lilac waved back and then faced me. "So do you wanna go with me?" She asked.

"Oh, s-sure!" I replied as we both started walking towards the gate.

God, I feel like my heart was gonna burst any minute. I couldn't believe I was going on another date with Lilac. Well, not really a date, but something like that. This might be my chance to ask about her and...

"Crimson!" She exclaimed.

I looked in front of us and saw Crimson by the gate looking like he was reaching for something at the top of it. We both walked towards him and Lilac greeted him.

"Hey there, little miss. What brought you here?" He asked.

"White and I are just gonna go to a cafe. Wanna come with us?" Lilac invited him.

WHAT?! Please say no. Please say no.

He looked at me and then smirked. "Sorry, no can do. I still have to finish what I'm doing right now." He replied.

"What are you doing anyway?" Lilac asked.

"Well..."

meow*

"Was that a meow?" I asked.

meow*

"Come here, little guy." Crimsons said.

I looked towards where he was reaching to and saw a kitten's head emerge.

"As you can see, I'm trying to get this little guy to come down. He might get hurt up there." Crimson explained.

"Oh my God, that's so adorable!" Lilac exclaimed.

"You guys can go on ahead. You don't wanna be late to the cafe, right? I'll just text you later, little miss."

"Oh, okay... Well, talk to you later, Crimson!" Lilac said as she ruffled Crimson's hair.

"Hey! Stop that!" Crimson exclaimed as he grabbed her arm. "Go on now."

We continued walking, and as I passed Crimson, I heard him whisper something.

"Good luck."

I looked behind me and saw him smirk as he waved his hand goodbye.

What the hell is that guy up to? I don't know why, but I just have a bad feeling about him...

"Hey, White." Lilac called me. "Sorry for dragging you into this. Chartreuse and I planned this a while back, and it sucks that she had to cancel. I understand if you just wanna go home."

"Oh, it's no problem." I replied. "I'm really glad we're doing this anyway. I'm starving."

"That's good! By the way, if it's not too much of an issue, what were you doing with Chartreuse?"

"O-oh, w-well I-"

"Could it be you're helping her get over her fear of guys?!"

"What? I'm-"

"I'm so glad!" She exclaimed as she grabbed my hand. "This is really good for her! I'm so glad you're helping her, White."

"Y-yeah. I'm glad too..."

Shit. She never even gave me the chance to speak. It's a good thing though. I don't really have an excuse about why I was there in the first place.

Now that I remember it, there's something about what Chartreuse said that bothers me... She said she was rooting for me rather than Crimson, but I don't think I've ever said anything about him. I also don't think there were other times that those two interacted apart from when he had that fight. I don't even think they've formally met. So why did she say that? Could it be that... She knows something?

"Hey, White. We're here." Lilac said. "Come on." She grabbed my arm and we both headed inside.

We sat down at a table by the window, and as I took my seat, I could feel my phone vibrating. I took it out and saw an unknown number calling me... But I recognized the number...

"Hey, Lilac, I just gotta take this." I told her.

"Sure. I'll order us both something." She replied while placing her canvas down.

"Thanks." I said as I walked away.

I headed outside and took my phone out again. I slid the button on the screen to answer the call.

***click***

"White??? Is that you??"

"Hey, mom."


	21. Ep 21: Family First

**White's POV**

"I thought you'd never answer!" My mom exclaimed.

"Well, now I did. What do you want?" I asked.

"I didn't get the chance to talk to you when you visited... So I was wondering if maybe you could-" I interrupted her.

"No. There's no reason for me to visit, is there? Please, stop calling me. I don't want anything to do with any of you. Bye."

"Wait Wh-"

***click***

Why now? Why did she have to call now that I'm supposed to be happy? It's fine. It's okay. Just don't get worked up over it. It was just a call. There's no need to get mad over it. Just gotta head back to Lilac. She must be waiting for me.

I headed back to our seats and saw Lilac taking a sip of her drink while staring out of the window. Damn, she looks so pretty. Her long, silky hair. Her beautiful purple eyes. Her soft lips... Wait! No! Bad, White! You can't have any of those thoughts! You aren't even going out with her! Erase the impurities from this mind.

"White?" I heard Lilac's voice ask. I looked over to her and saw that she was looking at me. "What are you doing standing there? Sit down." She said.

"R-right. Yeah." I replied as I took a seat.

"Who was that? You took a while with that call."

"It was nobody important."

"Are you sure? You look a bit pale. Are you alright? Do you need anything?" She asked as she put her hand on my forehead.

"I'm fine, Lilac. There's no need to worry." I replied as I pushed her hand away.

"Alright then." She said as she took a sip of her drink again and a bite of the strawberry doughnut in front of her. "I bought you some coffee and a crepe. I wasn't sure what you wanted."

"That's fine with me. Don't worry..." I replied.

Shoot... Think of a topic, White. You can't just go with her to a cafe and waste precious alone time. Think of something that might be worth talking about...

"Hey, White..." Lilac called to me.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"I'm not sure if I have the right to ask about this, and I know I promised that I wouldn"t force you to tell me, but I really have to know... Why did you do it? That day I saw you lying on the floor with a pool of blood around you, I didn't know what to do. It's really a good thing that I invited Black to come with me. If he weren't there, I have no idea what could've happened to you..." She said as she tilted her head down. Her happy expression was turning into sadness and guilt. It was such an awful thing to see. My heart hurts so much just by looking at her.

"I'm sorry..." I said.

She looked at me in shock. "W-what?"

"I'm sorry I worried you and Black... That day just wasn't a good one. A lot of stuff happened, and I guess my sadness overwhelmed me."

She inched closer towards me and touched my cheek. Her warm hand made me feel at ease. I feel like I could tell her anything. "It doesn't matter what you did then. What matters is why you did it. I don't wanna force you to tell me anything, but ever since you got that call earlier, your expression turned into exactly like how you looked like in the hospital. Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling that call wasn't just nothing. If there's something bothering you, you can tell me, and I promise I'll help in any way I can."

She's so cruel. Telling me all this even though I think she knows exactly how I feel. It's like she wants me to fall in love with her more than I already am. It's unfair, because I don't know how to make her fall in love with me too.

"Lilac, if I tell you anything, you won't see me the same way as before." I told her as I held her hand.

"Nothing will change." She replied.

"Alright, then here goes..."

And just like that, my mouth moved on its own. I told her everything that happened to me, everything that I'd felt, and everything that hurt me. I explained my complicated relationship with my parents, and why I did what I did. She looked shocked at first, but her expression turned into pity. I knew it. She sees me differently now. I'm sure she'll start treating me differently too. This was a mistake. I never should've told her. I should've just stayed quiet and pretended that everything was okay, just like always...

I felt a light touch on my hand and saw Lilac shed a single tear. "White, from what I heard from your story, I really do think your mom wanted to help you. Sure, at first she must've just been helping herself, but she's become so desperate now. I'm sure she realized what she did wrong, and she just wants to fix her relationship with you." She explained.

I brushed her hand away. "No!" I exclaimed. "There's now way I'm gonna talk to her! Never... Never again..."

"Well... If not her, then what about your sister? How do you think she feels after her brother left her without any warnings? How do you think she felt when you brushed her away when she tried to talk to you in the hospital? If you don't wanna talk to your mom, then at least hear your sister out. I'm sure she has lots of things she wants to say to you. Plus, this might help you too."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Call her and tell her you wanna meet her."

"I-I can't. I don't have her number..."

"Well..." She held my hand again. "Then visit her at school. You know where she's going, right?"

"Yeah... Can I really?"

"Of course you can. You're family. I'm sure she'll welcome you back."

I stood up and picked my bag up. "Thanks, Lilac, but I have to go now. I have to see her!" I told her as I started to run, but then she grabbed my wrist to stop me.

"Before you go, I know this isn't something I should stick my nose into, but you should tell Black. Doesn't your best friend deserve to know?"

"Of course he does." I replied. "Just not now... Not yet..." I pulled my arm away and proceeded to run out.

I can't believe she talked me into doing this, but she might be right. Talking to my sister might be the first step for my self improvement. I've decided! After I talk to her, I'll go see mom and dad.


	22. Ep 22: Music As Bandages

**Black's POV**

It kinda became a routine of mine. Everytime the bell for dismissal rang, I would immediately head to the music room to visit my friend, Crimson. He says he's part of the music club, but he's the only member. Nobody wanted to join since he doesn't have the best reputation, so this place became a hang out for the two of us. He'd play some songs on his guitar while I drew, and this day was no different.

I opened the door to the music room and saq Crimson by the window playing his guitar again. He turned and smiled at me. "Hey there." He said.

"Sorry I took a bit long. I needed to clean the classroom." I replied.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

I took a seat at the corner of the room and took my sketchbook out. I haven't really drawn anything new since I've always been here, and there's never anything new.

"Hey, you okay?" Crimson asked. He must've noticed me fidgeting.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm just a bit stumped on what to draw." I replied.

"Why? What have you been drawing anyway whenever you're here?" He asked as he put his guitar down and moved closer to me.

"Here." I replied as I handed him my sketchbook.

He took a seat on the floor beside me and started flipping through the pages. "Wow. You've drawn the sunset too many times. Is this really all you've been drawing?"

"Well, yeah. It's not like I have anything new to draw."

"What about drawing this room? There's a lot of things you can draw here."

I looked around and just saw some chairs and a few stuff covered in sheets. It honestly looked more like a stock room than a club room.

"Alright, maybe there isn't much to draw, but it's worth a try." He said.

I looked around more and saw a huge object covered by a white sheet. "Crimson, what's that?" I asked as I pointed at it.

He stood up and walked towards it. "This?" He asked as he placed his hand on it.

"Yeah."

He removed the sheet and revealed a piano underneath it. "Woah!" He eexclaimed. "I never knew there was a piano inside here."

"Really, dude? You use this room everyday. Don't you even bother to clean it up?"

"Not really. I wonder what kind of other stuff is in here?"

"Wait!" I stopped him before he started exploring more. "Do you know how to play it?" I asked.

"A little. I haven't played it in a long time. Do you wanna hear it?"

"Yeah. It might give me some inspiration."

"Alright then." He said as he took a seat. He touched the keys and wiped the dust off it. I guess it must've been there for a while. "You ready?" He asked.

"Yeah." I replied.

He played one key, followed by another, and then soon enough, he started playing seriously.

_~It's a little cold in paradise tonight~_

_~Love fading~_

_~I'm finding new forms, I'll ride it out~_

_~It's fine for now~_

And just like that, it was like my hand started to move on its own. I continued to sketch while listening to Crimson singing. Even though I've heard it so many times, his voice was still amazing to listen to.

_~Can you feel my, can you feel my~_

_~Can you feel my tears? They won't dry~_

_~Can you feel my, can you feel my~_

_~Can you feel my teardrops of the loneliest girl?~_

_~The loneliest girl~_

He continued playing even though there was nothing else to sing anymore. He started humming the melody, and it was perfect. It's like the song was made to be sung by him. It's amazing how a person shunned by everyone else can create something so beautiful.

He finished playing and looked at me. "Did that inspire you?" He asked.

"Y-yeah. I think so." I replied.

"Can I see it?" He asked as he stood up and walked towards me.

"Sure." I replied as I handed my sketchbook over to him.

He took a look at it, and then faced me with a shocked face. "Dude, this is amazing!" He exclaimed.

I took the sketchbook back and looked at it. "Wow. I guess it is." I commented.

I didn't even notice what I was drawing, but the end product was amazing. It was Crimson playing the piano, with the sunset over him.

"It would be better as a painting." He said. "A sketch is just a pencil and paper. If it were a painting, I'm sure all of the colors would make it look more amazing."

"I-I wanna paint it." I replied.

He looked at me. "Really? You don't have to feel obligated to paint it just because I said so, okay?"

"No, really. I wanna paint it. You're right. Adding colors would make it more beautiful than it already is."

"You really are something, aren't you?"

"What?"

"Woah, look at the time!" He exclaimed while looking at his watch. "We should get going."

I looked at my watch and saw that it was already 5:30pm. "Oh, you're right. We should go." I said as I put my sketchbook back in my bag.

Crimson headed towards his guitar. He placed it in its case and picked up his bag. We both walked towards the door and proceeded to head downstairs. The moment we reached the gate, Crimson grabbed my shoulder to stop me.

"Do you hear that?" He asked, shushing me.

"Hear what?" I replied.

"Shhh!" He shushed me again. I listened closely to what he might be hearing and there it was.

meow*

"A cat?" I asked.

"Yeah, but where is it?" He replied.

We listened closely and tried to find the source of the sound.

"Hey, I found it!" Crimson exclaimed while pointing at the pillar beside the gate.

"Where?" I asked.

A kitten's head suddenly popped into my field of vision.

meow*

"Oh my God! It's adorable!" I exclaimed. "Wait here. I'm gonna find a stick or something it can walk on." I said as I sprinted away.

Now where can I find a stick? I didn't really think this through. I guess I'l just go around until I find one.

I continued to look around, but then I saw a familiar light brown shade in the distance, lying down underneath a tree.

I wonder where I could've seen this shade? Since people are normally grey to me, I can't possibly forget anyone with colors.

I walked closer towards the student and he suddenly jolted up and looked at me. "Who are you? What do you want?" He asked. He had medium length, messy, blonde hair, with some of his bangs covering his eyes. He had a black piercing on his right ear, and had dark yellow eyes. He was wearing a khaki sweater, almost the same as what Crimson was wearing back then. He looked like he had just woken up from a nap.

"I-I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm just looking for a stick." I replied.

"A stick?" He asked as he stood up and went behind the tree.

"Yeah. I need one because of... Reasons..."

He emerged from behind the tree, but with a stick this time. "Here you go." He said as he handed it to me.

I took it from his hand. "Thanks so much." I said as I sprinted away.

I'm sure I've seen his color before... I just can't figure out where... Well, no matter. I'm sure I'll remember it some other time.

I got to the school gate and saw Crimson sitting down by the gate. "Crimson!" I exclaimed as I ran and waved the stick at him.

"Shhh!" He said as he cradled something in his arms. "He's sleeping."

I looked over to see what he was holding, and there was the cat, sleeping soundly in his arms.

"You got it?" I asked.

"Yeah. It jumped down on me." He replied. "I'm heading in the other direction today. Are you okay with walking home alone?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine. See you tomorrow then?"

'Yeah. See you tomorrow."

He stood up with the cat still in his arms and proceeded to walk in the opposite direction as me. I wonder where he could be going? Well, no matter. He looked really happy today. I'm glad that he seemed to be back to his old happy self. Ever since the day of the fight, he's been so off. It's reassuring to see him genuinely being happy this time. There's no need to worry about him anymore...

Is what I really wanted to say... That day... I thought everything would be fine, but little did I know, this was only the start of a day that will never seem to end.


	23. Ep 23: His Back

**Ivory's POV**

"I-I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm just looking for a stick." The boy said with a panicky tone in his voice. He had straight, pitch black hair. It wasn't really long, but it covered most of his forehead. He had pale skin. Not so much that he looked dead, but he was certainly paler than what a normal person would look like. He was wearing a plain grey shirt with a black jacket over it. It looked so soft... I really wanted to sleep on it...

"A stick?" I asked. I'm sure I saw a stick behind this tree. I went around and picked one up from the pile.

"Yeah. I need one because of... Reasons..." He replied while avoiding eye contact.

I went back to the front of the tree and handed the boy the stick. "Here you go." I said.

He took it from my hand. "Thanks so much." He said as he then ran away.

I'm pretty sure I've already seen this boy somewhere before, I just don't know where. Come on, think Ivory. Was he the one I had a talk with a few days ago? Wait, no. This guy looked way different... So then where?

"Hey!" A voice from behind called me. I looked over and saw my friend, Cyan, running towards me. "Sorry I took so long. Some guys from the basketball team wanted me to help them." He said. This friend of mine is one of the most perfect people I've ever met. Smart, athletic, great face, an even better personality, and so much more. I have no idea why he chose to hang out with someone like me, but I guess I don't really mind it. It's annoying how his fan girls flock over him during morning and lunch time though.

"It's fine. We gonna go home now? I have some stuff I have to do." I replied as I started to walk.

"Yeah, we can go." He said as he matched my pace. "Were you sleeping again?" He asked.

"Yeah." I replied. "It's not like I can do anything else. I can't even join the music club because I know I'm not welcome there."

"He's in charge of that club, right?"

"More like he's the only member. Everybody else is too scared to join. I mean, I don't blame them. The guy looks scary as hell. He hasn't changed at all."

"You know, I still don't understand why you fought with him. In all your stories, you sounded like great friends."

"Yeah, we were..."

"So what went wrong?"

"That's..! Um... How about you? Did you find who you were looking for?"

"Don't try to change the subject!"

"I'm not trying to. So did you find him yet? Didn't you say he goes to school here?"

"Yeah. I'm sure I saw this school's pin on him when we met at the hospital."

"Then what's taking you so long?"

"I have no idea what department he's in. There's so many students here so I don't think I'm gonna find him anytime soon."

I sighed a bit loudly. "Can you at least tell me what he looks like so I can help you look for him?" I asked.

"There's no need for that. I wanna be the one to find him, but I really appreciate your help." He replied. "But anyway... You aren't gonna get away this time. What happened between you and this supposed friend of yours. I still can't believe you fought with him as soon as you saw him."

"First of all, he was the one who punched me. I just retaliated. I really wanted to apologize to him, but I guess he's still mad about what happened. I don't blame him though. It was a really shitty thing to do."

He placed his hand on my head. "I'm sure you guys can work it out. If you were friends, then he'd hear you out. He's just frustrated. Give it time, man."

"I guess you're right." I replied. "Hey, I'm gonna stop by the supermarket first. You can go on ahead."

"You want me to come with?"

"I'm fine. I'm just gonna buy a few things anyway. See you later." I told him as I waved my hand goodbye.

"Yeah, see you." He replied, waving his hand as well.

Just frustrated, huh? I wonder if Crimon will ever forgive me... I know what I did. I don't blame him for punching me, but I've been trying to talk to him for so long. I don't understand why he won't just hear me out. If he did, then I'd be able to explain everything that happened...

I got to the supermarket and took a basket from one of the piles. I started to walk around and pick out some stuff to cook for dinner. I wish I had my earphones with me. Hearing the noises in this supermarket is annoying me the hell out.

"Hey, do you see that guy?" I heard a female voice say.

"Oh, he looks really handsome. Do you think he's a model?" Another added.

"He's so my type. He has that bad boy vibe. Should I go talk to him?"

"Yeah girl. Go for it."

I peaked around from the corner to see what the two were talking about, and I saw a familiar figure. It was Crimson...

I moved in closer to eavesdrop on their conversation. I really shouldn't be doing this, but I have to see what's gonna happen...

"Hey." The girl greeted him as she tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around with a very confused look on his face. "You don't know me, but you're really my type. Do you mind giving me your number?"

I looked over at Crimson and he had that uninterested look on his face. I guess he really hasn't changed much.

"I'm your type? Sorry, but I'm actually waiting for somebody right now." He replied. I could always tell if he was lying since he does some specific actions every time. He was fidgeting with his left hand, and using the other one to play with his hair.

"Oh, come on." The girl insisted. "It's just a number." Damn this girl is persistent. Can't she take a hint? I guess this is my signal to step in.

"Hey, Crimson!" I exclaimed as I walked towards him. "Sorry if I took a bit long. It was hard finding the chicken."

He looked at me a bit confused at first, but he eventually got it. "Oh yeah. Are we gonna go now? I'm starving."

"Yeah, come on." I said as I gestured for him to come with me.

We walked away, far enough for the girl not to see us anymore.

"That was something you don't see everyday." I jokingly said.

"Why'd you help me?" Crimson asked.

"What?"

"I really appreciate your help there, but I just want you to leave me alone." He said as he walked away.

"A thank you would've been nice. I fucking helped you."

"And I didn't ask for your help."

"You would've given her your number if I hadn't stepped in!" I exclaimed.

"So what?! I could've just ignored her texts! " He replied, his voice getting louder as well. "Whatever. I'm done with you. Leave me alone. Just like what you did before." He started to walk away again.

This familiar moment again... Seeing his back like this... It hurts me so much. I get reminded of that moment every time. What I did was horrible, but it was just a misunderstanding. I didn't mean for it to escalate like that. I didn't want our friendship to end by seeing his back as he walked away. I felt so much regret for not stopping him then, but now I've changed. I'm not gonna let it end again like this. I've tried so hard to find him just so I could apologize. Our reunion wasn't really the best, and I understand why he punched me, but I'm not gonna let it end like that again. This time, I'll get through to him.

"Wait!" I exclaimed as I grabbed his arm. "Can we talk?"

He pulled on his arm and made me let go. "Please... Stop it, Ivory. I've been restraining myself from punching you, so please. Just go. I don't want anything to do with you anymore."

"Crimson, please just listen to what I have to say. After this, I promise I'll leave you alone."

I just wanna make things right. You were never at fault. You never did anything wrong. It was all her fault. It was her fault for deceiving us, and our fault for believing her words over yours. So please, let me make it right by apologizing to you.

"Fine." He replied. "But this won't change anything between us, so don't act like we're friends."


	24. Ep 24: The Story Of The Delinquent

**Black's POV**

"Aunt Autumn! I'm home!" I exclaimed as I entered the door. I could hear the shuffling of feet coming from the kitchen towards me.

"Black, I'm gonna go out." My aunt said as she poked her head out the kitchen. "There's been an emergency at the hospital and they need all the help they can get."

"Oh, sure. When will you be coming home?" I asked.

"Tomorrow evening." She replied as she picked up her keys and made her way to the door. "I left your dinner at the table. Make sure you eat. Bye bye!"

I made my way to the kitchen as I heard the door shut. I guess I'm alone again for tonight. My aunt works as a nurse at a nearby hospital so it's normal when she gets these kinds of emergency calls.

I saw my dinner at the table and sat down. It was fried chicken. I guess she didn't have enough time to make something. No matter. Anything she cooks is delicious anyway.

After I finished eating, I washed the dishes and placed the leftovers in the fridge. I cleaned up the kitchen and immediately headed up to my room. I placed my stuff down and turned the air conditioner on. I'm gonna sleep soon anyway, so I might as well take a bath too.

I grabbed my towel from the chair in front of my desk and turned the bathroom lights on. I have my own bathroom inside my room since I really don't wanna make the effort of going down every time I needed to go. It's very convenient for me. Especially when we have guests. My aunt's aware of my condition, which is why she rarely visited us. I wonder what made her visit that day?

I entered the bathroom and took my clothes off. It's so cold, but I guess taking a hot, steamy shower will help. I turned the shower on and the water to come out. God this is the life. Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I relaxed. I don't even know if I can take one more love letter. The school year isn't even halfway done and I'm already worn out. The school festival is also coming up in a few weeks, so there's gonna be a lot more stuff to do.

***ding dong***

Huh? Was that the doorbell? Did Aunt Autumn forget something?

***ding dong***

There it was again. Shit, well I have to hurry up.

I finished my shower and immediately put some clothes on. I hung a small towel on my shoulder so that I could dry my hair on the way down.

***ding dong***

"Coming!" I exclaimed as I ran down the stairs. I opened the door. "Hey, Aunt Autumn. Did you-" I stopped. It wasn't Aunt Autumn at the door. It was Crimson.

"Hey, Black." He greeted me. "Do you mind if I stay the night here?" I stared at him for a bit, and he looked troubled. He lives a bit far from here, so I wonder why he made the effort to come here in the first place?

"It's okay." I replied as I gestured for him to come in. "It's just me tonight though. My aunt just got called in to work."

"You live with your aunt? Where're your parents?" He asked as he entered.

"Well..." I stopped for a bit. "My parents passed away when I was younger."

"Oh... I'm sorry... It must be a sensitive topic for you." He replied with a very panicky tone in his voice. He obviously doesn't get faced with awkward situations like this often.

"No, it's fine. It's been years anyway." I replied to hopefully calm him down. "They passed away four years ago. My dad died in another country, while my mom committed suicide."

"I-I'm sorry. I should've watched my mouth."

"I already told you, it's fine. Place your stuff somewhere there." I told him as I pointed at the side of the table, beside the door. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Not really..." He replied.

"Perfect!' I exclaimed as I pulled on his arm towards the kitchen. "There's still some leftovers in the fridge. I'll just heat it-"

"Black, it's fine." He replied. "Actually..." He said as he took out a paper bag full of ingredients. "Do you mind if I use your kitchen?"

I stared at him in shock. "Go ahead... Um... Why do you have those with you?"

"For dinner. I was gonna cook something when I get home."

"So, why are you here?" I asked as I took a seat.

He walked towards the kitchen and rolled up his sleeves. "I wanted to talk to you about something important... But that can wait till later." He replied as he grabbed a pan and started cooking. "Did you just get out of the shower?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Dude, your hair is so wet, it's still dripping." He laughed loudly as he chopped a few vegetables up.

"Oh shit! I didn't notice!" I exclaimed as I used the towel on my shoulder. "I was in a hurry to answer the door."

He chuckled a bit. "Sorry about that."

He continued to cook as I waited for him to finish. I had no idea what he's cooking, but it sure as hell smelled amazing.

"I didn't know that you could cook?" I said.

"There's a lot of things that you don't know about me, and it just so happens that cooking is one of them." He answered." I learned how to cook when I was still living with my parents. I didn't regret learning it, because now that I live alone, it helps a ton."

"Hey, where do you get the money to pay your rent?"

"My dad sends me money every month, but I also have a part time job in case I need to spend more." He finished cooking and placed the dish on the table. He cooked pasta, and the only thing I could say is that it looked and smelled really amazing. "I didn't know what you'd like, but here's some chicken parmesan."

"Oh, but I already ate." I replied.

"Come on." He insisted as he handed me a fork. "Eat some with me. I can't finish this whole thing on my own."

"Ugh, fine." I eventually gave up. "Do you want anything to drink?" I asked as I stood up.

"Water is fine, but no ice." He replied.

I took some water from the fridge and poured us both a glass. I sat back down and took a bite of the dish. "Dude, this tastes awesome!" I exclaimed.

"It's nothing, but thanks for the compliment."

"Do you wanna marry me? I'd love to eat your cooking everyday." I jokingly said.

"Fuck off, man." He replied and laughed. "But you can always swing by my apartment if you wanna hang. I can cook up some food for you."

"Awesome! I'll take you up on that offer."

We finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen before going up to my room. He took his guitar and bag by the door and proceeded to climb up the stairs.

"Hey, you need some help?" I asked.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it." He replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then."

We got to the front of my room. I've never had anyone besides my aunt enter my room before. Oh my God! I don't even know if it's clean! I'm pretty sure I just placed my stuff all around.

I opened the door and we both stepped inside as I switched the lights on.

"Your room is pretty neat." Crimson said.

Thank you past self for instinctively cleaning up.

"Uh, thanks." I replied. "I have a mattress at the closet. Wait a bit."

"Sure, sure."

He looked around my room for a bit. "You have a console?" He asked. I got the console as a gift from my dad before. I haven't really used it much so it's just there most of the time.

"Yeah. You wanna play something?" I asked as I took the mattress of out the closet.

"Can we?" He asked as he turned to look at me with his eyes lighting up. He looked so adorable honestly. I can't even believe people call this guy a delinquent.

"Yeah, but you can just play a single player game if you want." I replied as I placed the mattress on the floor with some pillows and a blanket on top.

"It wouldn't feel right. I'd rather play a multiplayer game so that we both have something to do."

I chuckled a bit. "Fine. My games are in the cabinet below the TV. You can pick whatever game you want." I told him as I pointed at the cabinet.

He opened it up and decided which game to play. "You have Minecraft?" He asked.

"I... Had a bit of a phase..." I replied. I was a creative kid, so my dad used to buy me tons of sandbox games. He wanted me to expand my horizons and create art to my heart's content.

"Well, let's bring that phase back." He replied while taking the game out. "By the way, your console is full of dust. Do you even use it?"

"Uh..." I stopped for a bit. "Not really. I just sketch stuff to pass the time."

"That's the arts department for you." He laughed. "I'm turning it on now." He said as he turned one of the controllers on and placed the Minecraft disc inside the console.

"I'm gonna get some chips downstairs." I said as I opened the door.

"Wait." He stood up. "Let me help you." He offered.

"Uh, sure."

We both walked downstairs towards the kitchen to find some food.

"Hey, Crimson, can you get the chips inside the cabinet over there?" I asked him as I pointed to the cupboards.

"Sure, sure." He replied.

I went to the fridge to get some sodas for us. I'm sure it's okay to sleep late. Tomorrow's a weekend after all.

"Hey, Black..." Crimson called me. "Does your aunt love to bake?" He asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I replied as I took some sodas out.

"Well... I found a stash of sweets here."

"Sweets?" I turned around and saw that the cabinet he opened was the one where Aunt Autumn keeps all her stuff for breakfast. "Oh... That's breakfast..."

"Breakfast?? Dude, have you been eating normally? Are your teeth okay?" He asked with a concerned tone in his voice.

I burst out laughing. "I'm fine, Crimson. Stop worrying too much. My aunt just likes to be... Creative with her dishes."

"Sure. Creative." He said as he closed the cabinet.

We finished getting food and immediately headed to my room. We placed the food down by Crimson's mattress and sat down. I reached for the other controller and turned it on.

"Are we really playing Minecraft?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Crimson replied very enthusiastically.

"You're being too happy about this."

"And you're being too salty."

We started the game and got to the title screen.

"Make a new world." I told Crimson.

"Oh sure. What do you wanna call it?" He asked.

"Anything. I'm bad with names." I replied.

"Alrighty then. I'll just name it Survival."

The world generated and the two of us started chopping down trees. I handed Crimson a can of soda and opened one of the bags of chips. The sweet smell of salt and air. If only chips actually filled the bag.

"So... What did you wanna talk about?" I asked.

"Oh... Yeah..." He replied, the volume of his voice getting lower.

"If you don't wanna tell me, then don't..." I stopped a bit. "But if you have a problem, you can rely on me. That's what friends are for."

He went quiet for a bit, but continued to play. "Do you remember when I got into that fight?" He asked.

"How could I forget? Lilac was so concerned for you." I replied.

"Yeah, well... The guy I fought with..."

"Hm?"

"Before I transferred to this school, I used to be in a band."

"A band?" I asked. "Hey, look out for that creeper!"

"Oh shit!" He got a little startled. "Yeah. A band. Can you give me some wood?" He asked.

"Oh, sure." I replied as I gave him some wood from my inventory. "So, about the band?"

"Oh, right. I used to be the main vocalist and guitarist of the band... And the guy I fought with was the bassist... He also used to be my best friend..."

Oh, shit. "Um, can I ask what happened?"

"Some complications within the band. I started dating our other vocalist, and well.. I guess you could say things got complicated from then on. We were both outcasts, and we both liked each other... So I thought we were perfect for each other..."

"But...?"

He looked at me and smiled. "My best friend liked her too."


	25. Ep 04: Crimson Sunset

**Black's POV**

"Please go out with me." The female student bowed as she handed me a love letter.

She was grey. There was no point in continuing this. "Sorry, I'm not interested." I replied as I handed her letter back and walked away.

A month has passed since the first day. I've adjusted quite properly. I have no problems, and I have my one friend. I don't really need anyone else right now. I just wanna graduate and finally pursue a career of art.

"What's up, Ice Prince?" A voice beside me asked. I looked at the direction of where the voice come from and saw White leaning on a wall. He still had the same stupid hairstyle with the same tacky hoodies, but this time, it had a green alien at the front. "How many has it been this week?"

I sighed loudly. "This is the third one, and it's just Tuesday." I replied.

You might be wondering why he calls me Ice Prince. Ever since the first day, people have been talking about me and White, calling us the princes of the arts department or something. We've become popular since the other students say we're good looking and pretty charming. I can see why White would be called good looking and charming, but I have no idea what they see in me. White is dubbed as Prince Charming by the students because of his charismatic and charming personality. And me? I'm dubbed the Ice Prince because of my face. I don't feel any emotions when talking to grey figures, but White is the only one who isn't grey here, so he's the only person that can change the expression on my face. Every single time somebody talks to me, I just have a blank expression, but that hasn't stopped them from approaching me. I was hoping it would, but sadly they're persistent. Countless girls have confessed to the both of us, and every single one has been rejected. I have my reasons to why I'm rejecting the girls, but I don't know about White. He looks genuinely interested in some of the ones that confessed to him, but at the end, he still rejected them.

"Don't they get tired of confessing?" White asked.

"I guess they don't." I chuckled a bit. "Wanna head out somewhere after school?"

"Can't, man. Gotta do some stuff at home."

"That sucks. Maybe next time."

"Anyway, I really gotta go now. Can't be late." He said as he sprinted back to the classroom.

I got there too, but not as fast as him. Our last period was sculpting class. The schedule changes everyday, and it just so happens that this was the last class that was assigned to us. I looked around to hopefully catch White, but I guess he already went ahead. The classroom was almost empty, except for one person painting on a canvas by the window. I could recognize her since she was one of the few people I saw on the first day of class. She was the girl called Lilac. A fairly smart student. She excels in most of the classes we have, and is really good at painting.

I prepared to head out the classroom again, but I remembered that my bag was on the treasure chest right behind her. I remember that chest was the same one I sat on the first day of class. She noticed me and waved a little. The expression on her face doesn't change and she just continued painting.

"White already went home." She said. "You just missed him."

I walked closer to get my bag. "I know. I'm just about to go home too." I replied as I reached for my bag, but then I stopped to look at the sky.

The sun was setting, and it still looked beautiful. The crimson rays of light were showering the surroundings, even the classroom. As the lights dimmed, I looked in front of me and I saw the most beautiful sight. Purple colors were mixing in with the crimsons rays, but those purple colors didn't just come from nothing. It was Lilac, but she wasn't grey anymore. I could look at her clearly now. She had her long brown hair up in a ponytail, but still had some covering her right eye. Her chestnut eyes were visible since she was staring at the sunset. She was wearing a light purple cardigan over her casual clothes, with her school pin on the right sleeve of it. Not only could I look at her clearly now, but I could also feel emotions even just by looking at her, and the only emotion I felt was awe.

"Hey, is there something on me?" She asked. I must've been staring at her for too long, but who wouldn't stare at such an amazing sight?

"Sorry, sorry. I just thought I saw something beautiful." I replied. Wait, what the hell did I just say??? "I-I meant the sun! The sunset is beautiful!"

She stared for a bit, but then burst into a light laughter. She's beautiful, and her laugh's hypnotizing. It was unlike anything I've heard before. "This is the first time I've seen your face change its expression. I guess the Ice Prince is a person too. I was starting to worry you were a robot." She continued to laugh.

I sat down on the chest, trying to calm myself down from the embarrassment. "Of course I'm a person, and stop calling me Ice Prince."

She continued to laugh. "Sorry. It's just you always look so gloomy, so this is a nice change of pace." She said as she turned to her canvas to continue painting. "Just so you know, you look better when you use other expressions."

"What are you even doing here?" I changed the topic. I have to stop embarrassing myself now.

"I just don't wanna go home yet." She replied. "It's not like I have anything to do there anyway. What about you? Weren't you just supposed to get your bag?"

"I was, but then I decided I wanted to draw a bit too." I said as I took the sketchpad out of my bag.

"Sorry, I'm just not used to this. You're suddenly talking to me normally. It's still such a shock."

"Don't I look like somebody who'd talk to you?"

"Well, you've been avoiding most of the people that have approached you, except for White. The two of you are at a whole different dimension than us."

I chuckled. "A whole different dimension? Is that really how you see us?" I asked.

"Kinda. You two are both so popular that I never thought I'd have a one on one conversation with any of you, but here I am doing just that. You have no idea how much my friends like you."

"I can tell." I replied. "It's not like they're trying to hide it."

"I can't disagree on that." She laughed. "By the way, I'm almost done with this painting. You wanna walk home together?"

I glanced at her canvas and saw a majestic sunset. I guess she'd been painting it for a while. "If we walk in the same direction, then I don't see why not."

I noticed her walk towards me. She stopped and leaned in closer to look at the sketch I was working on. "You're really good at drawing. You even drew me perfectly." Drew her? I looked at my drawing and I didn't even notice. I was drawing the sunset, but I didn't realize that I was drawing her too.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to draw you!" I apologized repeatedly.

"No need to apologize. It looks amazing." She said as she leaned back again. "Should we head home?"

I agreed and we both packed up our things. We, in fact, walked the same direction going home. We got to an intersection and parted ways there. I continued to walk until I arrived at our house. As soon as I arrived, I headed to my room to rest for a bit, but then I realized something...

It's been a whole month, but why did Lilac's color appear just now? Not only that, but I also get a weird feeling from their group. It's like... I feel like she wasn't the only one with colors there. During the first day, I remember seeing a fourth girl at the cafeteria. She stared at me intensely, almost like she wanted to kill me. I wonder...


End file.
